I spent some time this week
Decorating my new office.
I found myself wondering
If anyone would notice the carefully selected ornaments
Or the perfectly positioned plant.
I caught myself following the gaze
Of my patients as they walked in
Seeing if they noticed how much thought went into the details,
Seeing if it mattered.
And of course, it matters
But up to a point.
I couldn’t tell if anyone saw the difference
And maybe it’s better that way,
Lest I get distracted from the details that matter more;
Like really listening when people speak
Or helping them solve the problem they couldn’t see clearly before.
We hardly remember the details of conversations from just a few weeks ago,
Let alone the details of an office.
Unless you have fairly remarkable taste
Or a sizeable budget,
A lot of people may not remember the details of your office.
But they will remember how you treated them.
Having a thoughtfully designed office is a wonderful thing
But not if it is inhabited by a distracted person.
So if you have to choose,
Choose to go big on the details that matter most.
heartinscriber 