Summary
Constantly improving processes and embracing an iterative mindset can be difficult. In this session, I’ll share unexpected hurdles I faced while leading large-scale changes and how you can avoid them. We'll dive into key moments where I hit roadblocks and more importantly, I'll share the valuable lessons I learned the hard way. Let’s turn my “list of things I wish I knew” into actionable best practices that you can apply to lead change more effectively.
Key Insights
-
•
Rapid team growth can drastically reduce process maturity, requiring reevaluation of tools and workflows.
-
•
Jumping to implement change without fully vetting feedback risks causing bigger disruptions.
-
•
Considering the urgency and impact of feedback helps prioritize which issues to address first.
-
•
Feedback should be treated as data, distinguishing between outliers and widespread concerns.
-
•
Locking processes against changes for set periods (1-2 months) fosters stability and sustainability.
-
•
Piloting changes with a small group before full rollout uncovers hidden issues and builds stakeholder support.
-
•
Setting measurable goals tied directly to the problem ensures meaningful evaluation of changes.
-
•
Documentation of change rationale, decisions, and outcomes prevents repeating past mistakes.
-
•
Building in testing time may require creative workarounds to keep teams functioning during pilots.
-
•
Managing leadership expectations involves empathizing with their urgency while communicating team capacity and needs.
Notable Quotes
"You should assess feedback before making decisions; implementing feedback right away can cause the wrong solution or disruptions."
"I often lock a process against changes for one to two months unless a major issue arises."
"Pilot and test your ideas before committing whenever possible to avoid unnecessary disruption."
"Feedback is data; sometimes there are outliers, so it’s important to understand if feedback reflects the majority."
"Documentation helps explain the rationale and revisit decisions in the future, preventing repeated mistakes."
"Use pilots as a tool to get buy-in from stakeholders and provide evidence for why change might be needed."
"Sometimes it’s easier to pitch a change with a smaller group rather than rolling it out to everyone at once."
"Set measurable goals connected to the specific problem to track if a change is effective."
"Managing change well is about the experience and buy-in of your team, not just frequency of change."
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. - James Baldwin"
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"I’ve never stopped designing completely, even as a manager or director, but the balance shifts toward strategic work."
Catt Small Micah Bennett Brian Carr Jessica HarlleeWhat's Next for ICs: Exploring Staff and Principal Designer Roles (Videoconference)
February 22, 2024
"Users initially were excited about AI, but six months later, there was more dissatisfaction and frustration despite quantitative time savings."
Jennifer Kong[Case study] Journeying toward AI-assisted documentation in healthcare
June 5, 2024
"Findings are often observations with a short shelf life, while insights get deep into the why and the consequences."
Sara LogelYour Colleagues are Your Users Too
March 29, 2023
"When I started at Zendesk in 2018, there was a single UX researcher serving 28 product designers around the globe."
Veevi RosensteinBuilding for Scale: Creating the Zendesk UX Research Practice
January 8, 2024
"Once we put all these insights into the repository, things we already have get so much more value."
Michelle Bejian Lotia Anne-Marie MorellRolling Out a Repository: How Zapier Centralizes Insights from Across their Organization
March 28, 2023
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Tutti TaygerlyVideconference: How to Work with Difficult People with Tutti Taygerly
June 25, 2020
"We created tiers of support where the gold standard, embedding designers, is reserved for priority one through three projects."
Patrick CommarfordDesign Staffing for Impact
January 8, 2024
"Cultivating a leadership ecosystem that thrives on rapid change is key to sustainable impact."
Frances YllanaTheme 2 Intro
September 24, 2024
"Your framework is like a minimalist short story: enough to spark curiosity but leaves room for conversation."
Mujtaba HameedFrameworks for Excellence: Using Visual Thinking and Communication to Elevate Your Research
March 26, 2024