Information Overload, and the Zen of Watching the Waves.

Information overload is something very simple

Information overload is caused by something very simple, we merged the industrialization process with information creation and now almost anything is available to us informationally, at any time.

The psychology of human beings, and the physiology, the needs and limits are not yet expressed in terms of variables in the equation of how much information, how often, and how diverse.

One element in helping reduce the problem is to take in smaller blocks of information.  Just do less at once. 

There are great things about the internet's remodeling of information publication

The most interesting aspect of that over the last 5 to 10 years have been in the realm of micro snippets of information.  The facebook post, the twitter tweet.  Those may seem annoying to you, but there is hope.

If you are not lost in the scrolling feeds, ( and if you are stay tuned to this blog btw, because I will tackle that issue on another day ), there is real efficacy of information transfer that happens in those small posts. It forces us to get to the point, to respect each others time and attention.

Sure there are downsides, and we know what they are.

• Information distortion.

• Information without context leading to distortion.

• Information junk food.

• And of course the potential for information addiction when it stimulates the emotional responses the way those top rising posts tend to.

But there is that upside, I don't need to listen to 60 minute lecture, or have someone baby food style play airplane with my info.  I get it, if I need it, I will look into it more.

The Solution

The process is too demanding only if you let it be more important than it is.

In a sense you are dealing with a surfing of sorts, but more than just checking out the waves, you are trying to keep up the emotional energy, and not get swamped by a stream of too big waves.

The Zen of Information Surfing

Sometimes, you have to just watch.  Watch the waves, you don't need to be a part of each of them.  See the waves, without need.  Just see it.

Okay, finally after 20 years, my deluge into Zen Buddhism pays off.


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Image by: Lewislbonar

Customer Complaints

I think there is a way to add that genuine aspect to customer communications, and that is to have people employed that are invested in the company , in a direct way.

If that means change styles of profit sharing, and educating people on the importance of customer experience.  Explaining that those complaints are company lifesavers, and is essentially free product iteration testing.

The damage stops when you make that customer feel like a real resolution is being created and their invested time, money and energy is rewarded.

They should get something more in return for showing you what your company needs to do to improve.

You would pay product testers, why not give more to these people that trusted your product, and spent the time to complain ?

What do you think ?
What experiences do you have with customer complaints that made your product better ?

Moments of Opportunity.

The impact that one key observation, one key insight can have into your business is invaluable.  

   About four days ago, a potential customer, really a group member from a mutual facebook group, made an observation about an element of my product.  He didn't know at that point, and I haven't mentioned yet, that the product was mine.  But him simply stating an issue he found with the product, plainly as an observation, forced me to look at a solution. 

   Because it came from a customer, I know that given the circumstances, that person's angle of experience will be shared.  So, I looked into a solution.

   I have a thing about creation, and thinking about creative solutions.  It thrills me.  I get into a very very good mood, and things start clicking in my head.  The solution took about 1hr to map out in my head.  Though I have thought about it generally before, and am of course very familiar with the apparatuses involved.  But after 1hr, this was about 3 days ago now, I began working on implementing the solution.  

   It has been a non-stop energized start to finish engagement for 3 days.  Maybe 40 hours in those days.  Proper sleep, and even a half day off for creative recharge.  But the energy of immediately solving a problem.  Of turning a criticism into an opportunity. A problem into a solution. That energy has been and is like no other.  It is, and I know this seems unreasonable, but it is like you are surfing on a moment in time.  A time wave.

   Yeah, I write science fiction too.  But, if you extract the meaning, it is in that phrase. When you grasp the importance of solving a problem, there is a moment that happens.  Like the one between a reader and an author, that delayed exchange.  It is a gift to the reader.  The person's comment about my product was that gift to me.

   Keeping up with that wave, from the moment it happened, and staying on it, is an energy feedback process.

   Well it has been an engaging and interesting 3 days.  And the solution is not complete, so let's not congratulate myself yet.  But, the workflow was worth talking about.

Remember whatever is going on out there, keep focussed on that timewave, the one that starts with a moment of opportunity.

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How to Engage the Human Mind.

     It isn't a surprise that there are many challenges on the way people want to teach and share in the world. The style of teaching. Where a person can be educated. Who it serves. What people can and must know today. It amounts to quite a mental challenge! No one owns the future. Most honest and hopeful people don't want to limit learning to the classroom. Some of us think the whole system could be remodelled.

 I stand by a few key facts:

 1) There is no reason to need a traditional classroom in the world today. It should be a choice and not a mandate.

 2) To educating yourself, you need to be part of an active group, to share and discuss, to solidify your thoughts, and to be challenged.

 3) The power of educating should NOT be abused.

 4) Different education styles should be employed at different times, and for different types of learners. People change, and people need to be stimulated in a way that suits them.

 5) There is no way to know the future, and what people will need to know for the future.

 6) It isn't the machine-industrial era, we need to go beyond assembly line education.

    I know that educating one's self is a lifelong process. I also know I see in my work everyday the difference between an active and stimulated mind with goals and work that is outside the realm of joy and engagement for a person. The first is always more rewarded. The person doesn't feel locked to a system, they feel as if they are moving the system forward. You see people energized, giving good ideas, attending to their own needs, and providing mutual solutions.

    My advice: Look for places where you are a part of the education of life, and not one where you are a part of someone else's plan.


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