Organisational Intelligence

An organisation creates value by satisfying the needs of others (e.g. customers), in return for which they receive something else of value in exchange (e.g. money). However, if you ask many organisations or project teams to explain the user needs they're aiming to meet blank stares are a common response. Ironically, the larger the project, the more money being spent and the more paperwork being created to justify the spend the less likely it is that anyone has asked the simple question: what is the user need?

Ignoring user needs (or telling users what they need rather than listening to them) often results in a failure to satisfy their real needs. This is fine if everyone else in your market is doing this as well. But if even one competitor starts to meet your users' real needs better — an Amazon or an Alibaba — you could be in big trouble. So, if you want situational awareness of the landscape you're operating in start with your users' needs as the focus for everything you do.

Focus on user needs