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Good advice. However, I noticed that the danger of getting too accustomed to the 'status quo' tools is that you forget what bothered you about them in the first

Good advice. However, I noticed that the danger of getting too accustomed to the 'status quo' tools is that you forget what bothered you about them in the first place, and what you wanted to improve. Your first experiences are very important in this, as it will be the same thing that other new people encounter. So write them down... (For example, some tool that initially seems extremely slow, after months of using it you may be used to the delays and take them for granted, even though productivity could be greatly improved if it was faster. Suddenly you're used to all the quirks of the old tool, making it harder to get fresh ideas)

dkubb 15y ago
I'm a freelancer, so I get to "start" at different companies several times a year, and I'm always surprised by how inefficient things are. However, I'm equally surprised by the fact that a few months in I've forgotten what the bottlenecks were because I've gotten acclimatized. So by the time I'm in a position to influence those processes I can't remember what the problems were. What I started doing was take notes the first few days/weeks of what is required to get setup, or where things could be improved. Then I refer back to them every few weeks, and will sometimes up up with solutions and start sending them up the chain.
- mdaniel 15y ago
  Yes, that "beginner's mind" is an invaluable thing. It is true in life as well as in business. I have found that the ability to "revert" to beginner's mind is a skill which I believe can be mastered with practice, and thus improved. Also, thank you for taking notes and for being aware of that situation. I believe the world is a better place when people engage in those behaviors.