Your system needs an update.  The computer alerts you as you’re shutting down or you get an email from the administrator. Cue the eye roll. But let’s step back for a minute; does this mean they’ve fixed that glaring problem?  Does that mean they’ve added a cool feature that will become your “go to” trick?

We’ve gotten a few emails lately from a software vendor that is integral in our company, they are rolling out a new release. They sent a long list of fixes and enhancements, coincidently it coincided with their trainer’s annual visit.  When the trainer arrived, it was really refreshing.  She provided more information on the new release and its impact. She spent time showing us how feedback had brought on enhancements and better ways to do things; we geeked out on some of them. She addressed how the fixes would impact work flow. We tested the system to better understand why the system handled things a certain way. We also brought her up to speed on issues that plague us so they can be addressed. The dialog in room was awesome. In having a larger forum to discuss issues we could challenge the status quo, we could determine if the issues were true problems or if they could be solved by doing things differently, and some of the proposed solutions went from nice to amazing.

It’s easy to dismiss this meeting and say it only pertains to software or even that it only pertains to one software; but I think it represents a much larger matter. Our office comes together to discuss workflow, clients, prospects, and the issues related to them to see if there is another angle, another process, more information; these interactions drive us forward and inspire change. Successful evolution is in not ever being content with where you are but in always believing things can be better.