It struck me recently that the idea of "human-centered" work manifests in many different fields, including but not limited to software engineering.
As a software engineer, the term "user-centered design" (UCD) comes up often. It was conveyed to me most clearly during my brief stint in government, but I recall hearing it sporadically across various channels in the past. Though it seems like most software organizations have their own definition, I think there is a common, albeit somewhat abstract, thread: actively involve your users in the design process. In practice, this could mean iterating on a software design based on user feedback before passing it off to the engineering team. It may even mean that users act as the designers, sketching up or describing verbally what they want from their software.
{Patient | citizen}-centered
Recently, though, I came across this idea in two other contexts: medicine and policy-making. In medicine, there exists the notion of patient-centered care (PCC), and its core idea is strikingly similar to that of UCD: provide medical care that reflects the diverse needs and lived experiences of each patient (source). In other words, medical providers can improve the quality of their care by being cognizant of the idiosyncrasies of their patient populations. To me, this feels decidedly intuitive. When I go to the doctor, I want to be treated as an individual, not an appointment. I want -- and indeed demand -- the type of care I receive to be as personalized as possible. Things are not terribly different for users of software and, unsurprisingly, those affected by policy.
In a recent edition of Issues magazine, a group of authors argued for the benefits of pTA (participatory technology assessment), a process in which experts, politicians, and citizens come together to have organized conversation around pressing policy issues. This model differs from a typical town hall by, as noted in the article, providing space for all citizens to share their thoughts, as opposed to "a few bold participants" who often dominate the discussion. The effectiveness of pTA comes from its belief that the true "experts" are those affected by policy, not those who create it. In other words, pTA is a citizen-centered approach to policymaking! I can't think of a better approach for governments to make decisions, and I'm hoping we see similar innovations as our government attempts to tackle things like climate change, anti-trust, and economic inequality.
Implications
Regardless of your field of work, I'd suggest you ask yourself: How do the people I build for -- with all their experiences, feelings, and ideas -- figure in to my day-to-day work? If you can't clearly answer this question, work backwards; put yourself in their shoes instead. How much do you interact with the people providing you X good or service?
In the US's capitalist economy, it seems all too easy (at companies, at least) to focus entirely on your unique tasks, devoid of larger context or communication with the people you serve. If more of us took a rigorous human-centered approach, not only would we do more impactful work, but we'd probably be more motivated, too.