A lesson from a Kindergartner on defining your customer's problems - and solving them

Last night, right before bedtime, my youngest daughter announced that she couldn't find Pink, her favourite teddy.

I spent about 30 minutes looking for this soft toy, with my internal voice talking to me: "the bedtime clock doesn't start ticking until she's in bed, with her fingers clutching Pink's leg and her thumb in her mouth. Then, 20 minutes of stories, 5 minutes of her teaching me a new song she's learned, 15 minutes of snuggling with the lights off...and I still need to jump back on my computer and get a document finished, and attack the over-stuffed laundry basket. What a major inconvenience..."

When I eventually found Pink, tucked into one of the many toy strollers we have, and returned him to his rightful owner (yes, Pink is a boy bear), she promptly plugged her thumb in, looked at me through her long eyelashes, already half-way to falling asleep, she said to me "Mommy, you are the BEST problem solver!"  The look on her face said it all.

I usually find myself dozing when we're having a final cuddle, but her final words of the day made me suddenly alert.  I hadn't been sensitive enough to consider the situation from her point of view. Pink, who is no longer pink, despite regularly sneaking him away for gentle handwashing in unscented laundry soap (otherwise "he smells funny"), has been her constant night-time companion for around 2,000 nights since birth and has been on many real and imaginary adventures with her. He has his own personality, likes and dislikes.



Solve my problem, please!

What was a time-sinking exercise for me was an essential problem for me to solve for my daughter, which boiled down to : "Find the most important object in my world. It's impossible to sleep without him".

It reminded me to try to re-frame the problems and issues that I encounter when interacting with customers, partners and coworkers. To slow down and be a more active listener. To think about what problems are constantly on their mind, and why it's really important to them. Only then can I figure out what I need to do to create a solution.

S_G