Are you ready willing and able to lead a UX Research and Design team? - La Tosca Goodwin

In the ever-evolving world of User Experience (UX) research and design, we will inevitably find ourselves at a crossroads in our career. The roles of individual contributors (ICs) and people leaders in UX are equally indispensable, yet vastly different. As an IC, you've honed your craft at creating seamless and user-centric experiences. On the other hand, the path to people leadership beckons with opportunities to shape and inspire entire teams, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

Join Tosca as she gives insights from her own journey navigating this pivotal decision. And, whether you choose to continue as an IC or embrace the challenges of people leadership, you will leave with thought-provoking insights that will help you make the right choice for your career.

Transcript

1. Are you ready, willing, and able to lead a UX Research and Design Team? Tosca Goodwin UX and product professional. SAFe coach. People leader. Superhero wanna be.
3. MC Tosca
4. Terminator Tosca
5. Beefy Tosca
6. Super Tosca
7. My first Job. • No professional development. • No clear career path. • Promotions based on seniority - not merit.
8. Be honest about who you are professionally. • The Dunning-Kruger effect. • Most people have their careers and professional development in the hands of the wrong leader. • The wrong reason.
9. Many years later . . .
10. People Leader -Screens -Projects -Tooling -supporting Partnerships -Peer-to-peer mentorship -Individual professional growth -specialization -People - Larger Strategic Initiatives -Team mentorship -Team growth -Budgets -Negotiation -Building Partnerships -Admin Tasks -Processes -Strategy -Generalization Individual Contributor
11. Before you commit to either path: 1 Self-Reflect Study the Path You Choose 2 3 Figure out your Impact and Influence 4 Consider the Balancing Act Understand the Challenges 5
12. Are you ready?
13. “If it’s something that someone else can do, why not you?” -My mom
14. Know your stuff • Are you considered the expert in the room when it comes to UX? • Can you teach and mentor your peers in UX? • Can you persuade people, that what you are bringing is the best experience to the table for the problems they’re trying to solve • Can you influence your peers in adjacent disciplines to be user advocates in the way they approach their work?
15. Knowing your stuff is not enough • Stakeholders and Business owners care about value to the company. • Product managers care about the growth and health of their products. • Development cares about the quality of the product and maybe more so the output of their teams. • Sales cares about getting the product in actual hands. • Support cares about the performance, the stability, the quality and all the -ilities of the product.
16. Stay Relevant
17. Are you willing?
18. You have to be willing to inspire. • Mentorship is not just about imparting knowledge. • Fostering a supportive and empowering environment where individuals can thrive and reach their full potential.
19. Accept you are not Always Going to be the smartest one in the room just because you are the leader
20. celebrate and activate your team • Complacency has no place in people leadership. • When your team brings home the wins, this is one of the best feelings as a people leader. • But you need to lean in, when they don’t win.
21. Express gratitude immediately And Often
22. Are you Able?
23. To Equip them. Then Empower them. • The vision for where they’re going as a UX org. • The goals for success. • The strategy for how they will get there together. • The tools and process for working consistently and efficiently.
24. To Energize them. Then Liberate them. • Energize them around the common goals of the company and your team. • Allow them to be deliberate about innovation with dedicated time and space to do it. • Free them to explore options without the fear of failure, but with a posture to learn from their mistakes.
25. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” -Peter Drucker
26. Be a mirror for the next generation
27. Thank you! UX Fighting for the experiences of all mankind