Thinking...

Responses to Colleagues Templates (There are two)

Response to Colleagues Template One

Two Colleagues Five Additional Ideas for Each Colleague

 

APA References

 

Response to Colleagues Template Two

One Colleague Response

Design Thinking Process Observations

APA References

Peer response 1

Workspace observations

 

1. Can get distracted at times

2. Lighting is perfect

3. Temperature is comfortable

4. Access to all needs

5. Dogs are present

 

Description of One Particular Problem

 

The workspace I use the majority of the time is in my basement. It is comfortable with good lighting. I have access to everything I would need, including my computer for research and any other school needs. The most comforting aspect is that my dogs are near me. The one aspect that can be difficult at times, especially when I am not completely focused, is my television and my phone. These things can be distracting as I may pick up my phone and call someone or play a game. I may also turn a show on or watch a movie if I am not completely motivated to complete my task. 

 

Innovative Ideas List From Phase 2

 

To resolve my problem of distraction while doing work, I will look into these solutions:

1. Work in my home office

2. Remove phone from work area

3. Do not turn on TV

4. Meditate to gain focus

5. Complete all other tasks prior to sitting down for school work

6. Use TV and phone as reward for completing work

7. Exercise prior to school work

8. Work from place of employment

9. Walk dogs prior to doing work

10. Work from dining room

 

By thinking through what is needed to help reduce distraction, I realized that many things could help. When getting down to the real problem, I am able to better realize the focus of the solutions. After seeing what I need to solve my problem, the above are the solutions that I think will help the most. I will now be able to test them to see what works best for my situation and hopefully I will be successful in having fewer distractions while completing my work (Brown, 2008). 

 

APA References

 

Brown, T. (2008, June). Design thinking. Harvard business review, 86 (6), 84-92.

Peer Response 2

Workspace observations

Workspace is a place at home or office used primarily for work. Below are some observations in my workspace.

1. Central air keeps the temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Easy distractions

3. Personal fridge

4. Good lighting

5. Diplomas hanging all over the wall

6. Executive chairs in my office

7. Work desk filled with papers

8. Patient files in cabinet

9. Large room

10. TV on the wall directly from me

11.  Window blind open for city view

12.  

Workspace environment is actually very important. It has been shown to provoke innovation. Further, effective communication, collaboration and coordination are influenced by the physical design of a workspace (Mishra & Mishra, 2008).

 

Description of One Particular Problem

One particular problem in my workspace is sustained distraction. Because some patients’ files are kept in my office, there is a steady flow of my staff that are looking for one file or the other. This kind of distraction, often times interrupts my mind processes.

Besides human traffic distractions, the temptation to catch headline news every now and then is unstoppable.  Suffice to say that, the presence of TV in my office is also a source of distraction. Finally, my distraction also comes from leaving my window blind open to enjoy the city view.

 Heerwagen et al. (2004), found that resolving these workspace challenges helps to support both group interactions and individual focus, while also facilitating transitions between these activities.

 

Innovative Ideas List From Phase 2

Status post brainstorming, the following have been identified to help with distraction in my personal workspace

1. Remove TV from my office

2. Shut my door when I am in deep thoughts and brainstorming to avoid interruption

3. Doodling. Write things down when they come to my mind. I can refine them later.

4. Privacy label on my door when I am really working and do not need sudden distraction.

5. Close my window blind when I get to the office

6. Put in a permanent fixed curtain that is not easily swayed.

After divergent thinking practices, I was able to generate the above solutions to my workspace distractions. I will next deploy convergent thinking to determine the best option for me.  Brown (2008) had previously established that reduction of distractions by identifying and remedying them, improves productivity.

 

APA References

 

Brown, T. (2008, June). Design thinking. Harvard business review, 86 (6), 84-92.

 

Heerwagen, J, Kampschroer, K., Powell, K, Loftness, V (2004): Collaborative knowledge work environments. Building Research & Information 32(6), 510–528

 

Mishra, D., & Mishra, A. (2008, September). Workspace environment for collaboration in small software development organization. In International Conference on Cooperative Design, Visualization and Engineering (196-203). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg