Thinking
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We Are All Describing a Different Part of the Elephant
We Are All Describing a Different Part of the Elephant
We Are All Describing a Different Part of the Elephant
The strongest creative work comes from combining perspectives across disciplines – and creating enough trust for people to share what they actually see.
There’s an old parable about a group of blind people encountering an elephant for the first time.
One touches the leg and says it’s like a tree. Another touches the trunk and says it’s like a snake. A third feels the ear and describes a fan.
Each person is describing something true.
None of them has the whole picture.
Different teams see different parts
I see that pattern everywhere in business.
Sales understands the objections customers raise before they buy. Customer service hears the frustrations after something goes wrong. Product knows what’s possible and what isn’t. Marketing understands whom we’re talking to and why. Creative sees the story and the experience we’re trying to create.
Every perspective is real. The work becomes stronger when we bring them together.
That belief shapes how I try to lead creative teams.
The best idea isn’t tied to seniority
I don’t think the best idea always comes from the most senior person in the room.
Sometimes it comes from a design intern questioning something everyone else has accepted because that’s how it’s always been done.
It reminds me of the moment in Big when Josh looks at a skyscraper that transforms into a robot and asks:
“What’s fun about playing with a building?”
Sometimes it comes from a salesperson repeating a customer’s exact words. Other times it might come from an engineer describing a feature in a way that reframes the entire problem.
I don’t think it’s my job to have every answer.
My job is to create enough trust for people to tell me what they actually think – even when the work isn’t working. And I owe them that same honesty back.
Collaboration is not design by committee
Collaboration means listening to people who understand different parts of the problem, identifying where things overlap, and then making a clear decision about how to move forward.
The more you collaborate outside your own discipline, the better you become as a designer and a leader. You begin to understand how other teams see the company, how customers experience it, and what success looks like to the people you’re there to support.
Creative work was never only about making something look good.
That lesson took me longer to learn than I care to admit. lol.
It’s about helping people solve problems and move the business toward its goals.
None of us sees the whole elephant alone
The picture becomes clearer when we listen to the person touching the part we can’t see.
There’s an old parable about a group of blind people encountering an elephant for the first time.
One touches the leg and says it’s like a tree. Another touches the trunk and says it’s like a snake. A third feels the ear and describes a fan.
Each person is describing something true.
None of them has the whole picture.
Different teams see different parts
I see that pattern everywhere in business.
Sales understands the objections customers raise before they buy. Customer service hears the frustrations after something goes wrong. Product knows what’s possible and what isn’t. Marketing understands whom we’re talking to and why. Creative sees the story and the experience we’re trying to create.
Every perspective is real. The work becomes stronger when we bring them together.
That belief shapes how I try to lead creative teams.
The best idea isn’t tied to seniority
I don’t think the best idea always comes from the most senior person in the room.
Sometimes it comes from a design intern questioning something everyone else has accepted because that’s how it’s always been done.
It reminds me of the moment in Big when Josh looks at a skyscraper that transforms into a robot and asks:
“What’s fun about playing with a building?”
Sometimes it comes from a salesperson repeating a customer’s exact words. Other times it might come from an engineer describing a feature in a way that reframes the entire problem.
I don’t think it’s my job to have every answer.
My job is to create enough trust for people to tell me what they actually think – even when the work isn’t working. And I owe them that same honesty back.
Collaboration is not design by committee
Collaboration means listening to people who understand different parts of the problem, identifying where things overlap, and then making a clear decision about how to move forward.
The more you collaborate outside your own discipline, the better you become as a designer and a leader. You begin to understand how other teams see the company, how customers experience it, and what success looks like to the people you’re there to support.
Creative work was never only about making something look good.
That lesson took me longer to learn than I care to admit. lol.
It’s about helping people solve problems and move the business toward its goals.
None of us sees the whole elephant alone
The picture becomes clearer when we listen to the person touching the part we can’t see.
There’s an old parable about a group of blind people encountering an elephant for the first time.
One touches the leg and says it’s like a tree. Another touches the trunk and says it’s like a snake. A third feels the ear and describes a fan.
Each person is describing something true.
None of them has the whole picture.
Different teams see different parts
I see that pattern everywhere in business.
Sales understands the objections customers raise before they buy. Customer service hears the frustrations after something goes wrong. Product knows what’s possible and what isn’t. Marketing understands whom we’re talking to and why. Creative sees the story and the experience we’re trying to create.
Every perspective is real. The work becomes stronger when we bring them together.
That belief shapes how I try to lead creative teams.
The best idea isn’t tied to seniority
I don’t think the best idea always comes from the most senior person in the room.
Sometimes it comes from a design intern questioning something everyone else has accepted because that’s how it’s always been done.
It reminds me of the moment in Big when Josh looks at a skyscraper that transforms into a robot and asks:
“What’s fun about playing with a building?”
Sometimes it comes from a salesperson repeating a customer’s exact words. Other times it might come from an engineer describing a feature in a way that reframes the entire problem.
I don’t think it’s my job to have every answer.
My job is to create enough trust for people to tell me what they actually think – even when the work isn’t working. And I owe them that same honesty back.
Collaboration is not design by committee
Collaboration means listening to people who understand different parts of the problem, identifying where things overlap, and then making a clear decision about how to move forward.
The more you collaborate outside your own discipline, the better you become as a designer and a leader. You begin to understand how other teams see the company, how customers experience it, and what success looks like to the people you’re there to support.
Creative work was never only about making something look good.
That lesson took me longer to learn than I care to admit. lol.
It’s about helping people solve problems and move the business toward its goals.
None of us sees the whole elephant alone
The picture becomes clearer when we listen to the person touching the part we can’t see.
Thanks for looking. Stay in touch.