Do you design for the majority?
Every design has some implicit assumptions about its users. Good designs often delight us by thinking about the edge cases and handling them gracefully (whether in software like iTunes, or physical products like the iPad). Bad designs are often designs by default - issues like accessibility, language barriers and tech savvy are not integral to the design process.
The same applies to your "processes" at work. How are decisions made and conveyed? How is information shared? Are your meetings structured such that the loudest, most opinionated person wins? Is important detail often conveyed to your team via hallway conversations?
Think about which "users" you are leaving out.
What if a deaf person joins your team? http://davidpeter.me/stories/being-deaf
Or an introvert? http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/how_to_manage_your_smartest_st.html
Processes, just like products, require utmost care in their design and must frequently be stress-tested to find their hidden assumptions. You'll be surprised how much they can improve.
The same applies to your "processes" at work. How are decisions made and conveyed? How is information shared? Are your meetings structured such that the loudest, most opinionated person wins? Is important detail often conveyed to your team via hallway conversations?
Think about which "users" you are leaving out.
What if a deaf person joins your team? http://davidpeter.me/stories/being-deaf
Or an introvert? http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/how_to_manage_your_smartest_st.html
Processes, just like products, require utmost care in their design and must frequently be stress-tested to find their hidden assumptions. You'll be surprised how much they can improve.