The photo above was taken at the Phillies game on Saturday. A game that, sadly, we lost, although the team went on to win the game and the division on Sunday.
What was amazing about Saturday's game was the energy of the crowd. Note the cheering. The homemade flag. (Yes, that's a rally towel, taped to a crutch, with band-aids. Nice.) You can see that everyone in the stands is standing up. Imagine the noise of over 44,000 people screaming. What's really impressive about that moment is that they're not cheering for a home run, or an out, or even a hit. They're cheering because the opposing pitcher just threw a ball. Because of the significance of the game, a play that would have been of minor importance in almost any other context takes on great meaning.
And why should you care? Well, because that doesn't just happen in baseball. On an individual level, it happens every time you enter a room to have a conversation with someone, ask for something, or give a presentation. We tend to think that other people's response to us is about, well, us. But actually, its often more about whether they're having a good day or not, how hungry they are, or if there's another drama in their lives that's taking most of their attention.
This matters to consultants because the work that we do can't be thought about in isolation. We have to take into account all the work that's been done before us, and the steps that are going to have to be taken after our project is completed in order to ensure implementation. The context of the organization and how the work fits into that context is as important as the quality of the work.
Finally, it matters to researchers and designers, because we have to understand the broader context of people's lives to really understand what their needs are, how they'll use the products we design for them, and whether they'll make lives better or more complicated.
Sometimes, no one is paying that much attention to the game. Sometimes the people are on the edge of their seats on each and every pitch. It's important to know when and why. Putting experiences into context isn't rocket science, but it can make the difference between success and failure.
Oh, and go Phillies!
1 comment:
Seems like a super-fun and super-challenging aspect of consulting is to try and get some of that crucial context. And maybe it takes at least one project cycle to really get it, assuming you have the opportunity to come back for that second cycle.
Although I do think that not having the context in some ways is important to give good advice. Clients telling us why they can't do what we recommend is always interesting; it's sometimes good to hear that so that then you can begin the work "well how MIGHT you find a way to do X..."
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