Get smart fast. Learn like an iPod.
"iPod Touch, music player" by guidosportaal, via flickr
A tale of what a little technological masterpiece can teach us about learning.
Apple’s iPod is a surprising teacher. The product itself has its own lore. It’s one of the asterisks on the time-line of technological development, and probably will always be.
[Go all the way - Evolver]
But today I’m not worried about that. As I sit here listening to one, blissfully enjoying a mix of the sounds of my youth along with more current hits, it feels like it’s interrogating me.
There, it just did it.
I’ve set it to shuffle all songs. This means of the 1,000+ tracks I’ve uploaded so far, any one could play at any time. A great way to rediscover the old greats I’d forgotten about, possibly even hear some of the tracks I’ve never listened to. And it’s in this setting that I find a whole lesson.
[From out of nowhere - Faith no more]
It just did it again. Like Britney, but without the “Oops”.
It’s gotta be intentional. This little machine is much smarter than we give it credit for. Scanning my brain, testing my reactions, this little iPod knows a bit about me, and what it doesn’t know, it wants to.
Having already uploaded songs, I’ve rated some of them myself [anywhere from one to five stars, depending on how much I like the song]. I can choose to play “My top rated” songs – a guaranteed hit everytime the player ticks over. Sometimes its nice to play a bit of roulette though, see what comes my way. As I hand my auditory fate over to the devious device, I’m completely unsuspecting. All songs > Shuffle > Play. Here we go.
[Sunday Morning - No Doubt]
Ooh, haven’t heard that one in ages. Wow, so good to hear it again, I let it play all the way through. Next song, not so much. I give it a skip straight away. And the next.
All of a sudden, I’m hit with a hit. One of top rated songs. I give the skip button a rest. After a few good and bad songs, the machine stumbles upon a few misses again. Not liking my fervent pounding on the Skip button, I’m presented with another top rated song.
That’s where it hits me, there’s more to this than meets the eye. Could it be that the player is pushing boundaries? Learning with each new track it plays? Let it play all the way through – a winner. Skip it, maybe not so much. Skip a few in a row – oh, oh, better throw in a sure fire winner to appease the listener.
Therein lies the crux. By applying some basic rules like this, this gizmo can keep learning about my music taste [and potentially even moods]. To the point that it might just know me better than I do.
Think like an iPod, learn like one too
Whether the iPod actually does this or not, I don’t know. If it does though, what a way to learn! Armed with some basic information, a simple formula and a willingness to push boundaries [and know when they are reached], you can quickly grow your knowledge about a particular subject [client, supplier, employee, boss, whatever].
Wondering how your client will respond to a highly creative solution? Give them three options, the highly creative one along with a couple more safer ones. And keep testing them… see what you learn about them.
Not sure how your top performer reacts to certain responsibilities? Test him/her with a few, but have the ones they prefer ready to fall back on. Keep testing them… and see what you learn about them.
Has a key supplier been disappointing you? Give them the option to deliver to the standard expected or to deliver what they’re currently delivering at a price that is more directly related to the value. Let them choose… and see what you learn about them. Then keep testing them.
Yes indeed, this could just be the way it’s done. So much to learn, so little time!
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