You have a massive blind spot here. As one solution-oriented person to another, please make it a goal to understand and fix this blind spot. It will make you mo

You have a massive blind spot here. As one solution-oriented person to another, please make it a goal to understand and fix this blind spot. It will make you more successful in life, and will make you more effective at implementing your solutions, too. I’m a consultant, and my job is getting people to change their software development processes so they are more effective. In the early days, that included things like “use source control.” Now, my advice is more subtle. Regardless, the job hasn’t changed. You might think that such a job involves showing people an obviously better way, and then helping while they put the idea into practice. I thought so too, at first. Narrator voice: It does not. First and foremost, the job is making an emotional connection with people so they want to change. Convincing them that you’re on their side, that you understand their world, and that you have their best interests at heart. Ultimately, it requires empathy. If you continue to approach problems without empathy, continue to dismiss people who take a people-centric rather than solution-centric view of the world, and continue to devalue the simple pleasures people take from doing things that don’t solve problems… you will be much less effective in life than you otherwise could be.