Do you see your users?
Thokozani Goodwill Khumalo
“Acquiring the right Talent is the most important key to growth. HIRING was- and still is- The most important thing we do""
Queuer: a person who waits in a queue.
I didn't know there was a word for a person who waits in a queue. But this is part of our new normal: longer queues. Especially at government offices. Last week I had to queue at the Tshwane Municipal offices. It was not pleasant, but it did spark some thoughts.
How to be a good queuer
You know the drill. A long queue outside the door. No chairs, no shelter. An employee whose only job is to tell you when you may go in - literally, a line manager. Such slow progress that you wonder if anyone is actually at work.
When I arrived, I was number seven in the queue. I was ecstatic when the next four people in the queue were allowed in after 25 minutes. I was not ecstatic when nothing happened for the next 90 minutes.
I could not find any advice on the internet about how to be a good queuer. The search results on Google are all about how to reduce your customer queues. Based on experience, here are my personal queue survival tips:
A moment of insight
I realised some of the consequences of making us queue outside. It's not just about social distancing. It means that the people in the queue can't see why it is taking so long. And, more importantly, the people inside don't see or hear the angry queuers. So they don't feel the pressure to work faster or improve service (forget for a moment that these are government employees).
And that made me wonder: "Do you see your users?"
Recommended by LinkedIn
Do you see your users?
Many years ago, I read a fascinating study about web usability. Researchers watched about 100 people use websites to accomplish specific tasks. They noticed that many users put a hand over animation on the screen, because it was distracting them. They saw how their users worked.
Yes, I know most people are working from home, and we don't really see anyone. And that makes it even more important to ask this: Do you really understand how your users engage with your system? Are you in touch with the real and current user experience? Or do you assume you know this?
This is an important question. As a developer, your perspective of the system is coloured by your knowledge of how it works. And life has changed for everyone. Maybe we need to revisit some of our assumptions.
P.S. I've been wondering how well I understand the current issues that L&D have with training for developers. So I'll ask you to help me "see" you at a later date.
P.P.S. This has been one of our challenges with virtual training. We like to see our delegates. It helps us know if you understand or if you are struggling, or if you need a break. But when you switch off your camera, we can't see that. So we have to try harder to get it right.
Are you in touch with your users? Please share your thoughts.
Course schedule
2021 is almost over. We can still help you with training for Intermediate SQL Queries, Introduction to Programming, Standard C Programming (if you hurry) and Python Programming. So please phone as soon as possible if these are on your list.
Now is a good time to start planning your training for next year, so check out the course schedule for 2022. If you need more information, or other dates, please contact us:
Kind regards