The hotel room switch dilemma.

Have you ever stayed in a hotel room, and right up until check-out, you still could not figure out the light switches?

It happens to me more than I wish for, and definitely enough for me to write about it today.

The problem is not the room itself. The room is fine, the electricity supply is fine, but somehow at some point in the design phase we went: "They’ll figure that out, it’s not the end of the world."

That’s right, it’s not the end of the world. But that doesn't ease the minor personal trauma of accidentally blinding myself with the main overhead lights when all I wanted was to turn off the bedside light as I drift asleep.

What's logic for some...

Whether we want it or not, we all need to navigate systems to get stuff done. Things like renewing paperwork, filing a claim, or applying for a visa. Some systems are fine and we don't think anything of it. Others less so, and it can be mildly frustrating, or borderline infuriating.

The thing is, what’s logic for some may not be for others. And common sense is definitely not common.

We don't always make the rules, and rules are difficult to make for a broad audience. But within the boundaries of certain environments, we can make things a little easier for ourselves. We do it with the way we organise things at home. So why do we fail to do it when documenting how our organisations operate?

The cost of guessing

It’s all about removing the trial-and-error loop we sometimes find ourselves in.

It’s not a big deal in a hotel room. We click five random buttons, turn on the bathroom fan by mistake, and eventually find the switch we’re looking for.

But how much time and money does that exact same trial-and-error cost to businesses?

How many mistakes happen because a handoff relied entirely on a verbal instruction or someone’s memory? How many hours do your people lose hunting for files through unlabelled folders?

In a hotel room, guessing costs you a few seconds of frustration. Inside a growing company, running a business on a total lack of reference points costs you serious time, money, and momentum.