Helping others see the light...
When someone is stuck in the status quo / old-thinking, how do you rescue them? What have you found are the best ways to break through and get them to see that a new, more creative approach is needed?
As an example, just had a chat with a colleague who "owns" a brochure we produce for one of our products. After a bunch of research they found that our customers didn't even know they had the brochure (in fact, several of them came to a focus group carrying the brochure with them and still didn't know they had it).
The solution? Pack even more information into this year's brochure. The (implied / cynical) thinking being that if it's heavier and denser, people will think it's more important and be more likely to read it.
It's funny, when I heard that none of our customers knew they had the brochure... my thought was, maybe we should scrap the brochure. But, when someone has been so close to the creation of something (my colleague), how do you open their eyes? Shcok therapy? Smelling salts? How have you sounded the alarm that more creativity is needed - offending as few people in the process as possible?
As an example, just had a chat with a colleague who "owns" a brochure we produce for one of our products. After a bunch of research they found that our customers didn't even know they had the brochure (in fact, several of them came to a focus group carrying the brochure with them and still didn't know they had it).
The solution? Pack even more information into this year's brochure. The (implied / cynical) thinking being that if it's heavier and denser, people will think it's more important and be more likely to read it.
It's funny, when I heard that none of our customers knew they had the brochure... my thought was, maybe we should scrap the brochure. But, when someone has been so close to the creation of something (my colleague), how do you open their eyes? Shcok therapy? Smelling salts? How have you sounded the alarm that more creativity is needed - offending as few people in the process as possible?
posted by ROInnovation at 4:07 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Scott
I'd ask to have a brainstorm about the materials. List all the things that are really good abou it, and those things that are not so good. Using the not so good stuff (and keeping the good in mind), have a relaxed discussion about how to improve upon the ways it is currently done. If you get other relevant and influential people in the room, not just you vs him, then everyone will have input, and hopefuly the answer will be obvious. You could even plan next steps and actions from there.
pam
Also it may be worth thinking about making them experience their customers lives. What does it mean to do their job? What would they do if they were sent a big document to read? What are their real needs?
You could do this in a variety of ways:
- roleplay with or without actors
- actually go and experience their lives (e.g. shadowing)
Then ask them to think - if i were doing that job, what is it that i really need from Microsoft?
Adam
Good point Adam - in order to bring it to life for them you can do "a day in the life" and track their day, working out what they do, what their main achievements are, what their main worries are, where they have unmet needs - just like a consumer insight project. Then the insight you get into the way the customers do things, the answers should be obvious.
Pam
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