Patient observation unlocks hidden innovation opportunities, but we’ve all but abandoned of the art of observation.

Because of time constraints, many design thinking experiences begin with empathetic engagement of a particular user group (don’t get me wrong, I’m all about talking to humans!), and so many students never even learn of the virtues of observation. Yet few activities will reward persistence as much. One can’t help but remember the shocking, organization-transforming insight that occurred to Dick Drew back in 1925, as he sat watching auto mechanics botch paint job after post-bodyshop-paint job, or more recently, how Kelly Garrett Zeigler stumbled upon an entirely new product innovation opportunity by immersing herself in unexpected places.

How to do it? I asked one of the most customer-centered leaders I know for his playbook. Here’s what he told me:

“Twice a month, every team member is tasked to go live a full day in the life of our clients. They literally go in the back room and take phone calls, write up orders, count products, make products, pack and ship orders… the whole thing, just like our clients do every day.

The goals are empathy for the end to end problems that our clients face, even when it’s not related to our business (Dick Drew, anybody???) and ultimately to gain the context that will help our team to make more valuable macro and micro decisions.”

That’s not to say that observation takes the place of conversation, but rather, sets the stage for it. He continues:

“Twice a week, I ask my teams to hop on a zoom or call with clients to do much of the same. They are talking to them about the state of their overall business, what macro factors are out of their control that are impacting them, what factors are in their control that they are focusing on, and what we can do to help them be more successful.”

To make empathetic engagement with end users as rich as possible — and to stock up on the richest-possible directions to take a conversation — it’s essential to immerse in and observe the world of your user*.

Do it regularly.

*this requires eliminating perks that insulate senior leaders’ experiences of their products…

Related: Inquiry-Driven Action
Related: Let’s Stop Talking About THE Design Process
Related: Talk To Other Humans
Related: Challenge Your Definitions
Related: Indulge The Tinkerer
Related: Welcome Surprises

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