hold fast managing-teams

Hold FastManaging design teams when projects go sideways.

Aaron “Ron” Irizarry- @aaroni | Dir of UX - Nasdaq Product Design #holdfast #wdd2016

“Technology companies are expected to move at an incredible pace, and building software is complex” - Alex Schleifer - VP of Design at Airbnb


These companies are complex fora variety of reasons…



Departmental make up.




Internal politics.




Internal politics.

Team distribution.




Internal politics.

Team distribution.

Understanding of design’s role.




Internal politics.

Team distribution.

Understanding of design’s role.

Limited budget and lofty goals.


Once we start to understand these contexts better, we can start to get an idea of what warning signsto look for before, during, and after projects.


Shipping is just the beginning.


This may sound like project management…


This may sound like project management…

It is.


Almost every problem we run into with projects can be traced back to communication issues with our cross functional teams about the projects and processes that surround them.


Managing The Process

Managing Stakeholders

Managing Your Team


Start by Striving for Transparency


Take responsibility for areas where you or your team may have missed the mark.


Avoid un-necessary conflict with teams and team members, you can call things as you see them while still moving towards a positive resolution.


Admit when you don’t have an answer.


Managing Stakeholders& Business Partners


We need to build trust


Focusing on other people instead of solution to the problem at hand, only leads to additional conflict and away from a problem’s resolution.


Managing your team


Every experience, good or bad, our teams face will change them.

No team comes out of any experience the same.


This is ok


Observation is such an important part of our design process, but it is often overlooked as an important part of how we manage and support our teams.


It is not enough to just manage our teams during challenging project situations, if we want to be successful, and more importantly, help our teams be successful we need to lead.


Managing the process


Having an agreed upon process in place will provide a starting point for trouble shooting what caused a project to go off the rails.


Be prepared to ditch your process if needed.


Remaining flexible is the key to weathering project storms.


“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

~ Mike Tyson - Washed up boxer, eater of ears


Have a Plan B, even a Plan C, that will help the team work through the situation for the needed solution.


The needed solution might not be the the ideal solution.


There is what’s ideal and there is what’s real.


Some things to keep in mind


Some things to keep in mindNo two projects are alike.



Do everything you can to avoid blind spots.



Do everything you can to avoid blind spots.

Use project kick offs, sprint planning, team retros to inform your strategy for projects moving forward.


We can’t control everything that comes our way.


Stay the course…



Stay the course…

Remain flexible…



Stay the course…

Remain flexible…

Remember that leading nets more results than just managing situations and people.



Thank you.Aaron “Ron” Irizarry- Dir of UX - Nasdaq

@aaroni

[email protected]

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