“Real courage is not grace under pressure. It’s doing the right thing when it’s frightening and hurts.” — Ramsey Clark
Courage is a term that feels increasingly distant in our culture today. A concept that we read about in stories and enjoy watching on the big screen. While it is often associated with bravery and heroism, courage is more difficult to define as it can have less physicality to it.
Here are 6 things you should know and consider about Courage
Know what you need to be brave about. Understand your purpose and priorities so you can get clarity, the type of clarity you need when you are faced with difficult situations. On the same note, it’s not always possible to have clarity in pressure situations.
If possible, don’t rush into situations, armed only with scant bits of information. Instead take a little time to breathe, and avoid assumptions by talking to people first.
Get lost every once in a while, or take a break from thinking about the situation you’re facing. I find that even a mundane task like washing dishes can let my thought processes have a break sometimes, resulting in new inspiration. Our logic often leads us to exactly where we are, letting us get blindsided by our own experiences and baggage.
Understand that not everyone/thing is your enemy. There are tensions or paradoxes that may appear to be at odds with each other, such as standardising and customising processes, cerebral and emotional decision-making, or balancing a digital interaction with the human touch. Difficult words from a friend can also be more beneficial than flattering words from an enemy. I believe that the way forward involves making key decisions to maintain a healthy tension between different opposing factors.
Know who it is you serve, and if you are trying to serve too wide a group of users or stakeholders, it may be impossible to please everyone. Again this relates to getting clarity of purpose.
Know when to walk away.
Read the rest of the article here https://bit.ly/CourageUX
Free upcoming online workshop — July 2020
Reuben will be running a free online workshop in July 2020 on The UX of Life, giving an outline on how to use behavioural design principles to better approach complex situations. While this approach has helped IndegoX in our Service Design, UX Design, Technology and Transformation work, we have found that it also helps leaders, product managers and individuals to gain more clarity in many situations.
If you would like to join us for this free 2 hour workshop, please use this form to express your interest.