One of the best productivity at work lessons I ever received came from a hotel room. I was reminded that if you feel like your productivity at work is in a rut, then you should try something new. It doesn’t have to be at your job but it does have to represent an unknown situation.
Recently, while checking into my hotel room at a conference, I had one of these opportunities when a registration clerk asked me a question.
“Would you like a room on the 68th floor?” she asked.
This was an exciting question as I appreciate a good view more than I fear falling to my death. I said I’d take the room.
“The room is for a person with disabilities,” I was then told. “Are you okay with that?”
I thought about it for a moment and figured the experience could give me some good insight into the life of a person with disabilities. I’d be a visitor to that world, much like I was a visitor to the conference’s city.
“As long as it has a bed, a toilet, and a shower, then I’m good to go,” I responded.
A fast elevator ride later, I found myself in my room. The room was different in that the sink was in the bedroom and the shower had no tub and was more like a wet room. There was no closet.
My main challenge was getting used to opening the door. Entry and exit from the room was governed by an automatic door that moved on a timer. Getting in was easy. All I had to do was insert my key, as you would for any other room. The door would then open and close on its own.
Leaving was different. In the bedroom, there was a sensor that I would have to wave at in order to make the door open. Many times, I caught myself walking to the door, having forgotten to wave at the sensor, and wondering why it wasn’t opening.
All of this added up to some minor inconvenience. It was a trade off for a room that was retrofitted for someone else’s needs.
There was an unexpected surprise.
Late one night, while getting ready for bed, I heard the door starting to open. I had a moment of panic. Was someone trying to break in? Had the hotel booked by room twice? In my mind, I was already composing an angry tweet to the hotel.
It turns out that I was the source of the problem. At the time, I had been running through some speaking material. When I talk to groups, I often gesture with my hands. These movements were enough to trigger the door sensor.
Luckily for me, there was no one outside in the hall, who would have witnessed my more casual state of attire.
What does this have to do with productivity? Sometimes, we make assumptions about things and people. They can be wrong.
This leads to mistakes and usually lost time. This happens with colleagues as well as people you pay. To prevent these problems, consider these important productivity at work lessons:
Experience Someone’s World
Learn more about what life is like for people you work with and buy from. Understand their challenges and how your needs fit into their world.
Develop Empathy
Try to find out what is the thing that you do that drives them crazy, like missing deadlines. Consider whether you can reduce these occurrences or make them more predictable. No one likes waiting to rush.
Share Your Productivity at Work Lessons
If you’re learning from your experiences, share your findings with others. For some, it will allow them to tell you if your insight is correct. Others may be inspired to do some detective work on their own.
Laugh at Yourself (Repeat as needed)
I couldn’t miss the comedy in my speaking style fooling a door sensor. I also had to acknowledge that was easier to believe that someone else had made a mistake and that was why the door was opening. I wonder what other actions I’m causing but believe I have no role in them.
What are your productivity at work lessons?
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
Read any good books lately?
