listeners do not quarrel
Thalia extended a palmful across the table. “Peeeee-nut — raaaaa-sin — candy covered cho-co-la-tayyyyyy for your thoughts?”
Nia stood knee-deep in pencil-jotted, sticky-notes from last night’s call. “I’m so grateful for our generous reviewer’s thoughts and contrasting perspective. She has much knowledge about what the market calls for, and —”
Calliope sucked raisin residue from her molar. “You’re wondering if… instead of breaking up and tearing down a story that felt like it was Heaven sent… Can we build upon it?”
“Exactly!” Nia grinned. “I’ve done a search and as best I can tell — what we’re considering doesn’t exist — yet.”
You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them.
By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.
~ Steve Jobs
The Steve Jobs quote you mention is interesting to me. It kind of implies that listening to customers is a one time thing, when in reality it is an ongoing iterative and interdependent process. Is Jobs saying that? Am I missing it? In my role of facilitator of Strategic Client Advisory Boards I found it to be true that clients or potential clients are or can be limited by what they know. But that's true of all of us isn't it? But questions followed by serious listening not for the answer but for awareness of the next question provided the grist for what's next. It was/is a beautiful dance of learning.
It is said, “Confession is good for the soul.”
I reflected on artist’s question on today’s painting: “What is it that I love?” Some realizations emerged. My mind immediately saw questions, like “Right now?” and “In the totality of my life?” and “Existential or pragmatic?”
There were more, but you get the picture. Not the first answer to the question. Rather, evasion disguised as weighing the question! Another thought asked if being centered and living mostly in the present makes answering such questions easier? (Bobble head bobs up and down)
In my AA participation I often heard that alcoholics’ thinking mostly consists of past regrets or future fears. Hmmm? Leftovers? A sort of bookend to that observation says, “What we have is a daily reprieve, contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Maintenance? Daily?
Wow! So our daily practices, meditation, yoga, listening to peaceful music as we write or think or paint? Efforts to be grounded, in the moment, present might help answer that question, “What is it that I love?”
Note: even blabbering can help!
My answer? Three MusesMerge; it’s Creator, Blogger, Sustainer, Energizer; and, of course, this dear community.
To paraphrase Calliope a bit, my direction should avoid breaking up and tearing down the Zeitgeist that is my life, with a renewed building program going forward.