What skills do you need to ensure smooth projects and effective outcomes? UX projects often present us with all sorts of leadership and management challenges – from problems with people, expectations, changes in requirements and challenging design problems. Strong leaders are critical to great design projects and great products – but what do they actually do that makes them so effective? How do they ensure that projects run smoothly and have effective outcomes? How do they create great working relationships that make the experience of working on the project as enjoyable as the end result?

1. Essential UX Leadership
Skills
UX Lausanne, 2016
James Chudley | cxpartners

2. @chudders
Hello!

3. 1 Why does great design need great leadership?
2 (Soft) essential leadership skills to pay the bills
…..expect practical advice !
@chudders
My plan for this talk

4. Research
assistant
IA
Intranet
manager UX consultant
Head of UX
Principle
consultant
Author
UX Director
Head
of product
20161998
@chudders
A story of theft as I transition from a ‘designer’ to ‘leader

5. @chudders
My lens - leading UCD projects within a UX consultancy

6. @chudders
Anyone a leader?

7. The managers job is to plan,
organise and co-ordinate. The
leaders job is to inspire & motivate
Adapted from “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management” by Alan
Murray, published by Harper Business.
@chudders
This is for everyone, not just ‘managers’ or ‘leaders’

8. @chudders
Why does great design
needs great leadership?

9. ‘Squiggle’ by Damien Newman
Central Office of Design
@chudders
Design projects are chaotic

10. It makes sense that a journey
with an unknowable destination
will require a strong leader ..
Me, while on my bike, a while ago
@chudders
Outcome is unknowable, journey is unknown

11. @chudders
Anyone worked on a project that went wrong?

12. @chudders
Loads of stakeholders (who don’t agree)

13. https://www.reddit.com/r/NewCerulean/comments/27qwl3/subject_initial_field_observations_of_flying/
@chudders
You get ‘seagulled’ by ‘HiPPOS’

14. Politics
Hard
Constraints
Never finished
Compromise
Opinion
@chudders
Products must ship despite design being…

15. @chudders
(Soft) leadership skills
that pay the bills

16. This stuff is easy, you don’t need an MBA…

17. Write down 5 qualities of leaders you admire
Copy them
1
2
@chudders
Why should people follow you?

18. @chudders
Be positive and enthusiastic

19. @chudders
Don’t (ever) take the credit & admit you failures

20. A B
Pre mortem
Roles & responsibilities
Write brief & share vision with team
Identify measures of success
Regular communication
Critique & feedback
Mid project wash ups
Internal / external showcase
Critique & feedback
Wash ups
Share stories
Measure outputs
@chudders
Make a plan and share your vision (regularly)

21. ‘Storming’
Effectiveness
Project duration
‘Performing’‘Norming’‘Forming’
*from ‘Tuckman's model of group development’ @chudders
Accept classic project dynamics

22. Responsibl
e
Accountable Consulted Informed
Design the project
Manage scope
Negotiate deal
Responsible for
quality
Run kick off
Own deliverables
Present design solution
Director PMUXDirector
Director Director PM UX
Director UX Director PM
Director Director UX PM
PM PM Director UX
UX UX PM Director
UX UX Director PM
@chudders
Clarify roles and responsibilities

23. @chudders
Make decisions

24. Discover people’s passions

25. @chudders
Say thank you & reward great work

26. I’ve worked out what you do,
you’re basically a shit
shield..A. Colleague, UX Consultant
@chudders
Be accountable & protect your team

27. Keep your distance but don’t disappear

28. I miss designing
stuff & meetings
are killing me
I’m going to
get involved
with the
design
This doesn’t
mean I can’t
still be creative
@chudders
Transition of do’er to manager (massive deal)

29. @chudders
Keep talking & sharing stories

30. 1. Work hard
2. Share what I know
3. Make stuff better
4. Keep it fresh
5. Make it fun
Like design principles but for you…
@chudders
Lead by example

31. ‘Stop, start &
continue…’
Be brave and ask for feedback

32. Be honest with people

33. @chudders
Brief for new project
Why are we doing this?
Why are the deadlines?
How will we measure success?
What will this project deliver?
etc….
1. Regular, clear and simple instructions
2. Ask the stupid questions
3. Document & share everything
Be clear about what you want people to do

34. @chudders
Design the experience people have working with you

35. ‘How to win friends and influence people’
1.Smile!
2.Always remember names and peoples interests &
issues
3.Be enthusiastic and keep your problems to yourself
4.Be genuinely interested in people
5.Be a good listener, encourage others to talk about
themselves
6.Don’t criticise, condemn or complain
7.Be a good conversationalist
8.Give honest and sincere appreciation
9.Put yourselves in the shoes of other people @chudders
Dale Carnegie worked this all out in the 30’s!

36. In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap
The job’s a game
Mary Poppins from ‘A spoonful of sugar’
@chudders
Make the work fun, fun shouldn’t be a reward

37. Set and share your vision
Lead by example
Look after people
1
2
3
@chudders
So if you just remember three things

38. Thanks!@chudders