Two Heads Are Better Than One

Posted by Jerry Lopper Jun 2, 2008

In late March of this year I put out a few requests for volunteers to test a new Balanced Life E-course I was developing. One of the requests was in a Suite101 blog post, others in my personal blog and Suite's writer's forum. The course testing is now complete and I'm wrapping up modifications, corrections, and improvements.

So I asked myself, what have I learned from this experience?

I learned:

• Two (or more) heads are better than one. Though I normally hesitate to ask for help, I find that getting other's viewpoints, perspectives, and interpretations improves my writing. The E-course, which I'll announce soon, is vastly improved by the generous help I received.
• Pareto's 80/20 rule still applies. 20% of the volunteers contributed 80% of the feedback. But I'm not complaining. This was strictly a voluntary activity, and in such an effort I learned to expect that some would be able to contribute more than others.
• I learned to accept (almost welcome?) severe criticism as my more vocal critics provided great feedback for improvement.
• People's learning preferences vary. Some liked my straight forward, business-like approach, others wanted a lighter approach. Though I can add some light touches here and there, I have to write with my own voice.
• Helpful people take on more than they can handle at times, and are reluctant to de-commit. Whether this is the reason for the 80/20 rule or just one of the reasons, I've learned to solicit a much larger group than I think I'll need.

All in all, this was an excellent experience. Humbling at times, but I learned much and the E-course will be much, much better for the involvement of others.