Technology Woes and the Rule of THREE

Do you have technology woes? This thing is not working or that thing is not sending or where the heck is that file? Ever happen to you? Recently my email was not working.

So… I call my hosting company:

CALL #1:

Person: “Sorry Ma’am we cannot fix that for you. Here is an article for you to follow so you can do it yourself.

Great. Online article. Step by step instructions. In Greek. Or it might as well have been Greek. I can say hello, goodbye, please, thank you and good night in Greek.

Article not helpful.

CALL #2

Person: “So sorry Ma’am. Here, let me send you a BETTER article.”

Great. This one is in English. Old English. Like Shakespeare. I’m a tad out of practice on my thees and thous.

 CALL #3

Person: (By now I am of course partly crying…technology and dating make me cry). “So sorry Ma’am. Can you hold please? Yes, I see the problem with your MX records. Would you hold while I fix it?”

Voila. Fixed!!

The Rule of Threes is something I developed when I lived in Boston for Graduate school. You see, up until then my “city” driving consisted of the small New England town where I grew up. Even if you were “lost”  you just find the intersection of Main and Center and you will find pizza. Now I’m in “the BIG CITY.”  We all know the history of Boston… built on old cow paths…roads make no sense. Anyone from newer, more grid-like cities things we are nuts (and we are, of course).  I got into the habit of asking at least THREE DIFFERENT people for directions to the same place.

I noticed that each person had a different perspective. A different (way) of giving directions. Some people say, “Go North for one mile, then turn right to go East.” Some people say, “Take a left at the McDonald’s then go straight until you see Citgo sign.”  Some people actually know the street names (these are my favorite people).

Perspective.  

No one INTENDED to steer me wrong. One way was not BETTER or WORSE than another. Using the street name speaks TO ME the best, with a few landmarks here and there and leave the directional words to Columbus (of course, he did miss his mark, yes?). After I adopted the rule of threes for directions I stopped getting lost. And something cool happened.  I started to notice things I would not have otherwise noticed. One person points out a store, or a landmark or a back road that no one else noticed. Someone knew where to park for free or where to get great coffee nearby.

Perspective.

Next time you are “arguing” with someone or frustrated that they don’t (won’t) see it “your way” I invite you to consider perspective.

My two favorite phrases for expanding perspective during a conversation are:

1. Tell me more about this.

2. And what else…

 You might find your points of view are not that different AND you never know what you might get… a new coffee place, a recommendation for a book, a new friend or ally. At the VERY least you will get a different perspective.

You want to move more calmly in the world? Less stress and more peace? Consider that your perspective in only one of a billion. 😊  

What else can you learn here?

Perspective (DEF): A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.