Changing the world requires telling people when you feel delighted, and when you feel you're suffering.
Last week was our annual trip to the Belgian Ardennes, where my friends and I enjoyed 7 days of reading, walking, playing, and eating. We had a great time in a wonderful house. There was just one problem… The design chairs in the living room were nice to look at, but awful to sit in. And so I told the owners, "Awesome house, crappy chairs!"
Changing the world requires open and honest feedback.
How else are we going to make this world a better place?
This means you must be able to tell someone, "Look, I really like you, but your service is crap."
Part of my commitment to change the world is to let customers, suppliers, and partners know when I feel delighted and when I'm suffering. If you've served me the best Tom Kha Kai in 10 years, I will say, "Your work is awesome!" But when you let me read my books in a 500 EUR camping chair, I will say, "Your work is crap!"
And I expect the same in return.
Because, if nobody does, the world will look exactly the same 100 years from now. Except it could be 5 degrees warmer. And many more people will be sitting in camping chairs.
(Jurgen Appelo is author of Management 3.0, a best-selling management book for Agile developers. It has a picture of a monster in it.)
