Summary
This session explores resilience from multiple perspectives within design operations. Corey opens with an inspiring story about overcoming challenges in his 2023-2024 job search, culminating in his successful hire at Adobe. Daniel then shares insights on maintaining resilience during day-to-day work by collaboratively creating operating models despite unpredictability. Deanna Smith, Laura Gatewood, and Lane Pro K provide approaches for improving practice through optimization tools like Slack and fostering gentler team interactions. A midday panel with Corey, Deanna, Laura, Lane, and the host reflects on these shared experiences. The day closes with Silka Bcha, ALA Weinberg, and Zaria Cameron emphasizing authenticity, humanity, and moral integrity as core to personal and team betterment. Together, these stories and strategies offer a comprehensive look at building resilience professionally and personally.
Key Insights
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Resilience involves both withstanding and quickly recovering from professional difficulties.
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Corey’s job search journey shows resilience can lead to positive career transitions even after prolonged challenges.
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Co-creating operating models with teams helps navigate uncertainty and complexity in daily design operations.
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Optimization tools like Slack can enhance productivity but require intentional gentleness in communication.
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Resilience is strengthened by collaboratively adapting work practices rather than rigidly enforcing them.
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Midday panels provide valuable reflection opportunities to consolidate learnings on resilience and practice improvement.
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Humanity and moral principles are essential foundations for sustaining resilience personally and within teams.
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Sharing diverse personal stories creates a richer understanding of resilience across different roles and challenges.
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The design operations community benefits from openly discussing vulnerabilities and growth to inspire others.
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Sustained resilience involves internal growth as much as external process optimization.
Notable Quotes
"Resilience means the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties or toughness."
"Corey’s job search in 2023 through 2024 is a story that ends well because he joined Adobe earlier this year."
"We talk about being resilient in our day jobs and co-creating operating models with our teams even when things get hairy and squirrely."
"Deanna Smith, Laura Gatewood, and Lane Pro K share ways to better our practice through optimization and just being a little bit gentler to each other."
"Slack is not just a tool, it’s a space where we can foster gentler communication to support resilience."
"The midday panel with Corey, Deanna, Laura, Lane, and me is about all the wonderful things that have happened so far in the day."
"Silka Bcha, ALA Weinberg, and Zaria Cameron discuss ways we can better ourselves and our teammates by being true to our humanity and our morality."
"The arc of the day reflects inspiring stories all the way through ways we can improve our practice based on what we’ve learned."
"Resilience is not just an individual trait but a collective practice grounded in our journeys."
"We live in a world of design operations that constantly demands resilience and reflection."
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