This week I began my journey for higher education with my first class toward my masters degree in Educational Technology.  I won’t get into all the details of job, but basically I design training and documentation that helps educate people in a healthcare environment.  You know how it is, you’re asked to perform a task but you don’t have anything that tells you how and 10 people tell you a different “shortcut”.  I aim to make sure you can get the information you need without having to swim through the minutia.

My first class assignment is to learn how to perform a needs assessment.  What does the customer need?  What do they want?  Why do they want it?  How does it make them feel?  What solutions can you offer?

Of course, I’ll do the assignment correctly, but I thought about this in terms of marriage as well.  When you think about your spouse this week, try to think about the following and see if it makes your communication more effective.  Report back!  I’d love to see how this method works in a non-business/educational environment!

1.  In a perfect world, how can my marriage be better?  This of this as a long term goal or if it’s something that can’t be achieved, use it as a place to practice compromise!

2.  What can I do right now to make my marriage better?  This is a nice attainable short term goal.

3.  How will this change make my spouse feel?

4.  Why is there a problem to begin with?  This one might help you find answers to the first three questions.  Careful!  It might give you more homework!

5.  How would your spouse want you to handle the issue?  Sometimes the approach to the solution is as important as the solution itself!

Have fun!  Time for me to hit the books again!