Finding Your Context/Leader Fit / Kim Goodwin

Any seasoned designer or PM knows the importance of context: users, goals, environments, and business needs all shape the “best” solution to a given problem. And yet, designers and leaders frequently assume that a process, skill set, or attitude that worked in one place is the one right answer.

Kim will discuss:

What characteristics of organizations demand different things from leaders
How to assess your leadership effectiveness within a given context
How to find your own context/leader fit

Transcript

2. Contents © 2009-2020 Kim Goodwin @KimGoodwin UXI Live 2020 Leading in Context
3. 3 questions I hear the most (about UX leadership) @kimgoodwin
4. What if I don’t want to be a leader? 1 @kimgoodwin
5. Leadership is not management @kimgoodwin
6. Leadership is influencing others to achieve shared goals @kimgoodwin
7. Most “design” Corporate goals Terms of service Security policies Revenue models Technology stack Employee training Employee incentives Algorithms & training data user experience @kimgoodwin
8. @kimgoodwin
9. delivering great UX make the organization better at @kimgoodwin
10. • Clarifying vision & goals • Influencing values & culture • Building skills & systems @kimgoodwin
11. Management is optional. Leadership is not. @kimgoodwin
12. How do I influence other people? 2 @kimgoodwin
13. New leaders may need skills @kimgoodwin
14. Often, the problem is context @kimgoodwin
15. Sometimes we can work with the context @kimgoodwin
16. Decision styles @kimgoodwin
17. Dynamic Stable Simplified from Cameron & Quinn 2011, based on earlier works Internal External Competing Values Framework @kimgoodwin
18. Adhocracy Dynamic External Minimize “process” @kimgoodwin
19. Dynamic Internal Clan Maximize involvement @kimgoodwin
20. Stable Internal Hierarchy Formalize process @kimgoodwin
21. Market Dynamic External Emphasize metrics @kimgoodwin
22. Dynamic Stable Internal External All have pros & cons for UX. How can you flex? @kimgoodwin
23. @kimgoodwin
24. @kimgoodwin
25. We’re all more suited to certain contexts
26. Company or team life stages Childhood Learn how to survive Adolescence Shape who they’ll be Adulthood Prosper (health & wealth) @kimgoodwin
27. They require leaders to be great at: Instigating • Vision • Persuasiveness Building • Systems thinking • Delegation Optimizing • Evidence focus • Relationships See also: Simon Wardley “pioneers, settlers, town planners” concept @kimgoodwin
28. Growing UX capability is similar • Interest • Survival • Value • Scale • Pervasiveness • Efficiency @kimgoodwin
29. Instigating UX involves • Diagnosing organizational culture • Generating vision • Selling vision at multiple levels • Getting resources • Offering hope
30. • Finding quick wins to prove value • Identifying gaps in skill & process • Designing teams & processes • Hiring strong people • Giving them clear goals Building UX capability involves
31. • Improving the right metrics • Improving efficiency • Growing new leaders • Building long-term relationships …without losing sight of the vision Optimizing UX involves
32. Continuous Change Cycle systems individuals cognition behavior Lawrence, Dyck, Maitlis & Mauws, 2006 educators shape intuition evangelists sell ideas architects establish systems autocrats dictate practices
33. Instigating Building Optimizing Never zero!
34. instigator- builder- optimizers
35. instigator- builder- optimizers
37. Struggle to scale up Leaders in the wrong context…
38. Get bored & disengaged Leaders in the wrong context…
39. Struggle with lack of systems, loss of vision Leaders in the wrong context…
40. What is your best context?
41. How do I know if I'm succeeding? (With colleagues, and with the organization?) 3
42. Are you a leader? Your “packmates” will show you
43. Do they: • Share ideas • Admit mistakes • Ask for help • Express concerns
44. If not, be more trustworthy • Keep promises • Give credit • Admit failures • Treat failures as data
45. People can only judge behavior
46. Do they: • Invite you to join • Seem happy to help you • Give you the benefit of the doubt
47. If not, show you care • Spend time • Ask about life • Acknowledge personal impact • Value their time
48. Are you making the organization better?
49. 1. Do you have the capability you need?
50. % of potential projects you can handle Proof point projects All projects in core business Key projects in core business Projects in support functions
51. Is UX a mindset, not just a function?
52. % of employees creating intentional experiences
53. Some of Dev & PM All of Dev & PM Other customer- facing functions Employee-facing functions
54. If low %, work on • Demonstrating value • Making alliances • Building skills
55. Is the organization better at its purpose?
56. Leading indicators Stated values Business results
57. Leading indicators • Task time • Time on site • Engagement numbers Can be misleading indicators: Too easily confused with real goals
58. Objectives & key results Decreased costs • Support calls • Product returns Increased revenue • Conversion rates • Upsells
59. Unless we measure what we value, we will continue to overvalue what we measure
61. @KimGoodwin | © 2009-2019 Influencing & adapting to organizational culture “Does Facebook care about you?” is needy & useless @kimgoodwin
62. @KimGoodwin | © 2009-2019 Influencing & adapting to organizational culture After using Facebook today, how much did you feel: …close to the people you care about? …valued by other people? …appreciative of people who aren’t like you? @kimgoodwin Human-centered measures would be:
63. The real test of our success? Do they do what’s good for people, even when it’s inconvenient?
64. Leadership is the hardest design problem
65. Choose the right context for you… @kimgoodwin
66. …and use the decision style that works there @kimgoodwin
67. Leadership is a conscious, daily practice
68. Consulting & speaking: kimgoodwin@me.com Random tweets: @kimgoodwin Instagram: @kim.goodwin