DL2022 Naomi Schofield - Leading creative teams into the new normal

Many of us have taken for granted the ability of our teams to show up for work with energy, positivity and a willingness to jump into a room with several other humans for days at a time to swarm on a design challenge.

This is not true anymore. Leading design teams in the context of ‘the new normal’ (hybrid teams, fully remote, new resilience challenges) requires us to really understand the principles of design thinking, while re-evaluating some of the practices.

In doing this, I have seen an opportunity for deeper empathy, more global collaboration, and found new ways to foster creativity to add to our toolkit of in-person methods.

Transcript

1. Leading creative
   teams into the new
   normal
   Naomi Schofield
   GM Design Xero
   

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2. Atomic Physics
   PhD
   Lean/agile
   consultant
   Product
   strategy
   Project and
   Program
   Management
   Design
   MBA
   

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4. REALITY
   NEED
   HYPE
   LEADERSHIP
   

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5. REALITY
   NEED
   HYPE
   LEADERSHIP
   

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6. REALITY
   NEED
   HYPE
   LEADERSHIP
   

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7. REALITY
   NEED
   HYPE
   LEADERSHIP
   

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8. The hype
   

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9. The hype
   Increased
   focus
   Fewer
   barriers
   

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10. The hype COVID-19: A Boon or a Bane for Creativity?
    Mercier et al. 2021
    

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11. The hype
    Tired manager
    Just trying to concentrate for
    more than 3 minutes at a time
    I couldn’t be more thrilled to share an
    exciting update with you all...
    

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12. The reality
    Low mood and
    poor performance.
    Can’t
    concentrate.
    Unmanaged and
    prioritised
    physical health
    concerns
    Fear of leaving
    home because of
    unvaccinated
    children
    Concerned
    for aging
    parents
    

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13. The reality
    The world happiness report, Chapter 7, 2021
    Feb Mar Apr
    Happiness for UK workers across 2021
    May Jun Jul Aug
    Jan Sept Oct Nov Dec
    20%
    30%
    40%
    50%
    60%
    1st lockdown 2nd lockdown
    Feeling happy?
    White collar
    Blue collar
    

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14. The reality
    58%
    are concerned about
    their personal health
    and wellbeing
    Reproduced from Xero’s Changing world of work
    report, 2022
    64%
    58%
    37%
    30%
    26%
    24%
    19%
    19%
    18%
    Work-life balance
    Staff morale and productivity
    Personal health and wellbeing
    Job security
    Overwork/ longer working hours
    Being underpaid
    Job loss
    Having the right skills for the workforce
    Unfair compensation
    Changing values
    

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15. The reality
    Our teams
    ● Periods of unemployment
    ● Financial stress
    ● Tired, potentially grieving
    ● Trauma recovery
    ● Reduced social connection
    Our workplaces
    ● Hybrid
    ● Disconnected
    ● Gone altogether?
    ● Sparse/lonely
    ● More flexible and balanced
    

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16. REALITY
    NEED
    HYPE
    Exceptional conditions for
    creative potential
    Adjusting to changed
    conditions for flourishing
    

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17. 20%
    40%
    60%
    80%
    Reproduced from McKinsey, Innovation in a crisis: Why it is more critical than ever
    Pre-crisis normal
    June 2020
    Communication
    services
    Healthcare
    systems/ services
    Consumer
    packaged goods
    Financial services Industrial Pharma and
    medical supplies
    Retail
    Basic materials
    The need
    Innovation as a top two priority
    

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18. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
    Normalised market capitalisation
    2009 financial crisis Crisis recovery
    Through crisis
    innovators*
    S&P 500
    10%
    30%
    From McKinsey, Innovation in a crisis: Why it is more critical than ever
    *Fast Company World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies
    The need
    Innovation as competitive advantage
    

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19. Organisations are:
    Stabilising their core business
    Pursuing known opportunities
    Waiting for more certainty
    Conserving cash and minimising risk
    The need
    

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20. Stabilising their core business
    When they should be….
    Pursuing known opportunities
    Waiting for more certainty
    Conserving cash and minimising risk
    Adapting the core to meet changing needs
    Identifying new opportunity areas
    Building a foundation for post-crisis growth
    Re-evaluating the innovation portfolio
    The need
    

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21. REALITY
    NEED
    HYPE
    Exceptional conditions for
    creative potential
    Adjusting to changed
    conditions for flourishing
    Reduced investment in
    innovation
    LEADERSHIP
    

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23. Sick family member at home,
    bad nights sleep, bad internet
    Chronic depression, trauma,
    grief
    Financial distress, grief, period
    of low self worth
    Permanent Temporary Situational
    

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24. 24
    What sort of leader do you want to
    be? Has your recent experience
    changed that?
    

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25. Leadership
    Empathy
    The drivers of workplace well-being have
    remained constant.
    61%
    Of people with highly empathetic senior
    leaders report often or always being
    innovative at work, compared to only 13%
    of people with less empathetic leaders**
    0 2 4 6 8
    Effect on happiness at work
    Achieve
    Purpose
    Learn
    Paid fair
    Manager
    Support
    Inclusive
    Appreciate
    Flexibility
    Trust
    Belonging
    Dec 2019
    June 2020
    **Van Bommel, T. (2021). The power of empathy in times of crisis and
    beyond. Catalyst.
    

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26. Leadership
    Don’t replicate
    

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27. Leadership
    Time well
    spent
    Focus time
    Meetings
    Digital hygiene
    Prioritisation
    

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28. Leadership
    Credit: Erin Casali @folletto
    Async by
    default
    

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30. Leadership
    Money today?
    Money tomorrow?
    No Yes
    No Yes
    Question marks Stars
    Pets Cows
    The
    questions
    every board
    asks
    

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31. What methods
    could you try for
    ‘just a week’
    What sort of
    leader do you
    want to be?
    How well are you
    using your
    empathy muscle?
    What influencing
    conversations
    might you need to
    have?
    

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32. Thank you
    

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