New Year’s Solution – Part II
I feel that Keri, as she is prone to doing, did not accurately represent my viewpoint on the whole “Resolution” thing. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, please read her post first at http://www.wordsaredelicious.com/2009/01/new-years-solution).
I believe that a project that deals with solving customer problems should be called “Resolution” as opposed to “Solution.” This is because the word “Resolution” to me has a very musical connotation, as in:
a. the progression of a voice part or of the harmony as a whole from a dissonance to a consonance.
b. the tone or chord to which a dissonance is resolved.
It implies the progression from a customer problem (dissonance) to a solution of that issue (consonance). Yes, I did use the word solution there, but the distinction in meaning and usage is important. We come up with a solution, but as a company our responsibility is for the process of getting to that solution, and that process is called resolution. It includes whatever solution is being proposed for the customer issue.
The Bach story, first told in 1775, is about an elderly Bach jumping out of bed to resolve a six-four chord left in the air by young Johann Christian, and Bach subsequently boxing Johann’s ears for this clear violation of proper musical manners.
And that’s why we call it “Resolution.” Imagery, people, imagery…
