What we feel, What they feel

Recently I introduced my son to a fine tradition in my family, Field & Stream. This tradition has been passed from father to son for generations. It is a glorious and rich tradition of teaching the younger generations to be connected to sporting and an encouragement to take part.

Recently I introduced my son to a fine tradition in my family, Field & Stream. This tradition has been passed from father to son for generations. It is a glorious and rich tradition of teaching the younger generations to be connected to sporting and an encouragement to take part.

My son is four and he loves to fish. Every chance he gets he will fish and he has been known to “practice” by casting from the bathtub into the toilet. It is a practice that I strongly encourage. Because I am an avid outdoorsman, I believed that he was ready for the big stuff. The glossy, beautiful, Field & Stream.

So the other night I brought him his first copy of Field & Stream. He was very excited. He began to look through the magazine. In one section, he stopped. It was a little article about oversized, road side attractions that look like animals. He was particularly captured by the Giant Muskellunge in Hayward, Wisconsin.

He was horrified. He had huge eyes, staring at me as if to say, can something that big exist, and if so, what will the fate of humanity be? In a deadly serious tone he asked me to rip it out and throw it way. And I could not throw it out in the kitchen. I needed to put it in the trash basket outside. He was VERY serious about this.

I have seen many user groups and congregations have the same reaction to a new idea, design or technological solution. The solution providers impliment a system with out testing it with the user group. They launch the design that they are so proud of, with all of the bells and whistles, with all of the fancy widgets, code, and multimedia.

And the congregation receives the solution and they ask, in horror, what is this thing? Can this monstrosity really exist? Please, put it out on the street so that the garbage man can come and take it away.

Had I asked my son, he would have told me that he wanted to read “Where The Wild Things Are” are thank you very much. He wasn’t ready for the Giant Muskellunge.

Look at your user group and find out what they need. If you give them a solution that they need, they are more likely to use it than if you give them the solution that you think they need. And when they are ready, you can lead them into to change and growth instead of shocking them into further refusal of change.

My son is fine now. He has gotten over the event. However, next time I will ask him what he wants to read. But I will also show him the cool article about Fishing Canada On A Budget. After all, he can’t read about mad Max for the rest of his life. Can he?