What to learn when U bump into your X?
Imagine this …
U can’t believe when U are informed that U have landed onto your dream job at DesignD, one of the best design studios in New York, as Lead User Experience Designer. It is something U have always dreamed of; an office with a large glass window, splashing the whole of Manhattan skyline onto it. U can’t wait to start working in such an invigorating environment, surrounded by some of the best creative minds.
U put up your best outfit and make your way to work. The moment U walk into that space, clean white walls with a dash of colorful paintings, a wooden bookshelf and a large desk greet U. U are so excited to see this; U comfortably sit in the chair and gaze outside for a minute. Starting off your day here everyday would be such a delight, U think. As U start off reading through the papers lying on your desk, your senior walks in and says, “Hey U, this is going to be your personal assistant and will take care of all your activities and meetings”. U look up and see your X. Startled at this unexpected meeting, U can’t say anything more than a hello. Your X looks at U with a smile. U have to brush aside all that flashes in your mind in an instance, and recover from the initial tremor. After all, X is going to meet U frequently and assist U in work!
Everyday as U walk by X’s desk, U see X chat endlessly on the phone, but without fail, X greets U courteously. As days pass by and work starts building up, U feel the need to organize a lot of things. There is so much to do, so many meetings to attend. It starts getting busy. X is taking care of your schedule, answering calls on your behalf and arranging for meetings and appointments, assisting U in documentation, maintenance of records, and things like that. U expect X to ask exactly where assistance is needed, note down important tasks, remember the priorities and remind U from time to time, but X relies too much on memory, more often than not, forgets informing U of important meetings in time and U miss out on getting messages and get late for meetings. The X cannot retrieve needed documents quickly and is often hesitant to ask. It starts getting out of hand when X pops open your office door and interrupts your meetings with clients with trivial notifications.The X tries best to change the planning system, but somehow cannot organize it as per your expectations.
One such day U have a presentation and stay back at work. It is late at night and U are tired, exhausted by the day’s work. U tell X to wake you up in case you fall asleep as U have to present the work to your seniors the next day. As expected X happens to mistake am. for pm. and wakes U up late. U check the time and suddenly leap to your feet, gather all papers and run to the meeting room. U realize that the meeting is over! U miss a crucial meeting. Infuriated with this incessant behavior, the very next day your boss calls U to his office and rebukes U. U start feeling that the rapport between U and X is not good. X tries to improve in every which way, but while doing so, never considers your needs and hence fails to propose a useful organizational system.
***
Frustrated by all the work load and by your X’s behavior, U decide to take a break and go for a vacation to Puerto Rico. U remember that one of your other old X just moved to Puerto Rico a few months back. Hence, U consider inquiring with that X about travelling there since U are solo backpacking. U pick up the phone hesitantly, but call up anyway. Delighted to know about your arrival, the X gladly arranges for your stay and suggests U some offbeat locations to explore. As U land in Puerto Rico, your X even comes to pick U up. It is quite astonishing that the X makes it a point to be there, takes U to lunch and drops U at the hotel U are staying at. The next day your X comes back again, promising to show you San Juan’s old spanish neighbourhood and plays beautiful spanish music in the car as U drive there. U are surprised with this lovely unexpected reception!
One of the days U decide to explore the casinos and the beaches by yourself. It is quite a liberating feeling with no anxieties or pressures of any kind. U are carried away in the flow of events and lose track of time. U forget to take the last bus home and wonder how would U get back. U have no other choice than to call X. The X comes quickly and takes U back to your hotel. U are quite impressed, that so much has changed since the last U met. X is transformed completely. When U ask X about this, “I just want to create a feeling of delight in everyone’s lives and leave a good memory with them”.. U already do feel delighted. All that bad time at work and dealing with that horrible X is washed off. U thoroughly enjoy your vacation and are completely rejuvenated.
***
When on the last day X comes to drop U off at the airport and U bid your farewell and turn away. U start contemplating…
‘ How one X tried best possible to organize and yet could not establish a plan that works, since your opinion wasn’t asked or considered. Whereas, the other X kept in mind your interests and designed your whole vacation around it. That is what made the difference in how you felt.
U are going to meet so many people in your life, some will stay and some will vanish. Someone may be your X; U will even be someone’s X at some point in time and at that moment U would realize — U have a choice…U always have a choice what kind of X would U want to become?
This essentially defines the relationship between U-ser and X-perience.
