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When I applied for the accounting position at Adaptive Path just over three years ago, I had no idea what User Experience was. I looked at the website and got excited about the idea of creating wonderful experiences. Words like information architecture and strategy design made me giddy, but I had no idea what they meant.

I got the job, but months later I was still fumbling around trying to figure out exactly what it was that this intelligent, creative, fascinating group of people was doing. I asked different designers what they did all day and was repeatedly faced with jargon that went straight over my head. Until one of our pracitioners finally explained it to me in a way that stuck…he told me that it was as simple as using my phone. He explained that I was the user and then he asked me how my experience was. That helped put all the pieces of the puzzle together and I realized that a) no matter who we are, we are all users and b) we all provide experiences in one fashion or another.

This got me thinking about what kinds of experiences I create and provide both personally and professionally. Let’s face it, the accounting demands of any job are generally not very sexy to most people. Very few people tend to get excited about budget meetings with the Controller. People are not beating down the door of the accounting department to get a report on project expenses. I love what I do, but I realize the majority of the world thinks of number crunching as a necessary evil. Which is exactly why I try to make the experience of interacting with me and my team less evil. So I have to ask myself questions like — how can I make that budgeting meeting interesting? What can I do to provide better reports? There is always room for improvement.

Regardless of the field we are in or the role we play, we could all benefit from analyzing the experiences we create and provide and ask ourselves these vital questions:

• Am I doing my best to make all interactions I have good experiences for others?
• What can I do to make each experience better? (smile, be prepared, be available, etc.)
• Do I try to think of things from the other people’s perspective so I can do my best to perceive what can be improved?

These questions force us to consider that one person’s good experience is cause for someone else’s bad day, depending on their role in the organization or personality type. For instance, to some people, if I’m providing a good experience, it means that I am pretty much invisible. If it’s all smooth sailing, they barely need to talk to me. For others in the organization, a good experience means providing timely information before they ask for it. The more they hear from me, the better the experience for them

There are all kinds of things we can do that can help us better understand those around us so we have some empathy for them and the kind of experience they desire. At Adaptive Path, for example, we all take the Myers-Briggs personality test and post the results for all to see. By reviewing a co-worker’s personality type before meeting with them, I may better understand how they relate to others and use this information to make the communication between us more productive. It may also give me a little insight into what kind of experience would benefit them.

Last year I had the opportunity take part in our four-day workshop series, UX Intensive. I walked away with tools that I could use to better understand my colleagues. One of the exercises that had a real impact on me was a great lesson in listening during the Design Research day. We all paired up with a partner and sat face-to-face. One person had to ask a question and while the other person answered, the questioner had to sit quietly (no gestures or head nods) for two minutes and just LISTEN. Not as easy as it sounds! This exercise was related to doing research to determine a) who our users are and b) what they really want and/or need. We can apply this when learning about those we work with to make our professional experiences better.

Clearly, the first step in providing the appropriate (and therefore desirable) experience is coming up with the right questions to ask our target audience. The second step is listening. When you think about it, this is the foundation of any good relationship. The only time I have problems with my husband is when one of us isn’t properly listening (I won’t say which one of us). A great product or service design begins when the research team really listens to users and makes the design work based on the user’s needs. Every great experience we have starts with this foundation.

In my world, that leads to making more compromises than accountants usually like to make! Not compromises when it comes to the integrity of the books or cost controls in the office, no accountant should ever compromise those critical items. The compromises I make are around the processes we have in-house. I often say I’m a square in an office full of circles (there are squiggly lines and figure eights as well). I appreciate strict procedures for everything that affects accounting at Adaptive Path. Forms, forms, and more forms!! My pointy square edges could deflate some of those creative circles if I don’t make acceptable compromises.

In order to make the accounting experiences better for others, I ask myself these questions:

• What technology is out there that can help to create a better process flow?
• What information is important to those I work with?
• Do I smile when working with others? (nobody likes a crabby accountant)

The third question is the most important. If the answer to that question is yes, then usually I’ve succeeded. Beyond that, it is important to realize there are always ways to collect necessary information that will not drain the creativite juices of those focusing on designing exciting new experiences. One thing I find helpful is effective use of meetings. By being a part of the creative meetings in our organization, which may not directly impact my world of numbers, I get to collect information about the cool things being worked on at Adaptive Path, and I can also share in the creative process to a certain degree.

The real payoff for me is in the face-to-face interactions that build relationships between the worlds of accounting and our more creative pursuits. This in turn, creates transparency that allows each camp to be aware of what the other is working on. These interactions have led to many great (if outlandish) recommendations on ways we can improve our accounting processes with new technologies or interesting ideas. Many of those ideas are too wacky to implement, but even if we don’t end up adopting them they at least get me thinking.

The accounting department will always have its fair share of processes that are despised by many of my colleagues (particularly those circle-shaped folks). We will never be able to eliminate all of those pesky forms or invoice coding and expense report rules, but we can try our best to make the personal interactions more pleasant, which in turn might make those “necessarily evil” aspects feel less so. Those circle-shaped people have inspired me to always be on the look out for new ways to make the experience others have with the accounting team better. And my right angles may have even started to look a little rounded.

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