There's not much technology involved in this story, but an important lesson comes our way from the world of competitive sport - basketball.
Shortly before the 2006-2007 NBA season, the league decided to switch from the traditional leather basketball to a new microfiber composite basketball. The new ball, designed by Spalding, featured better grip, feel and consistency over the old leather basketball. As players began using the ball in preseason training camps, preseason play and regular season play the complaints began rolling in. They said the ball bounced differently than the old ball and the composite material was rough on their hands. Overall, it just didn't feel right.
On Monday, the NBA bowed to pressure from the players and have agreed to go back to the old ball. NBA Commissioner David Stern admitted in an interview last week that they should have fielded more input from the players before they made the change.
Whether technology or sports equipment, the lesson learned is to be serious about soliciting input from end-users when a change is going to have a significant impact. Don't just assume the changes will be accepted no matter how well your intentions may be.
About the Author
- Justin Beller
- Boise, Idaho, United States
- Justin Beller is a training and development, workplace performance improvement professional serving businesses of all sizes in a variety of industries. Over the last 10 years, Justin has built an impressive body of work. He has been involved in the design and development of training and workplace performance improvement solutions to enhance the productivity and profitability of companies he has served. In addition, he has conducted user-centered design and usability testing on technology products for Boise-area companies such as Norco, Albertsons and Hewlett-Packard. Justin has been described by his peers as a leader, bringing a high degree of skill in his area of expertise. He is knowledgeable of processes and procedures surrounding the development of quality, performance-based training, providing oversight to projects with an acute sense of awareness to deadlines and timelines. Justin pays close attention to details and exercises his authority as a leader in a conscientious manner. In 2005, Justin founded PinPoint Performance Solutions, a training and development company dedicated to workplace performance improvement for maximum results.
No comments:
Post a Comment