2
A client's simple question about her old photos made me realize I was overcomplicating my whole approach.
She just asked, 'Is there a way to get these pictures off my old laptop before it dies for good?' I was about to launch into a lecture on drive cloning and backup strategies, but her question was so direct. It reminded me that sometimes the best fix is just the one that solves the person's immediate problem, not the most technically perfect one. Anyone else find themselves getting too deep in the weeds before checking what the user actually wants?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
milaw142mo ago
Oh man, totally. My buddy was helping his aunt with her phone. She just wanted to know how to make the text bigger. He starts explaining screen resolution and accessibility menus. She looked so lost. He finally just showed her the one setting. She was thrilled. He felt like a dummy for overthinking it.
3
faith_king2mo ago
My cousin tried to explain Wi-Fi to our grandma once... called it a "wireless internet signal distribution network." She just stared and asked if it was the same as the "web." He spent twenty minutes drawing diagrams before she pointed to the router and said, "So that little box makes my shows work?" He just said yes. We still tease him about it.
8
alex_wilson792mo ago
That's the trap, isn't it? We learn all this complex stuff and forget how to give a simple answer. Makes me wonder, how do you catch yourself before you start that overcomplicated lecture? Is there a mental switch you try to flip?
1