Hold fast managing-teams

Hold Fast
Managing 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 for 
a 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 signs 
to 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

No 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…
comes our way.

Stay the course…
Remain flexible…
comes our way.

Stay the course…
Remain flexible…
Remember that leading nets more results
than just managing situations and people.
comes our way.

Thank you.
Aaron “Ron” Irizarry- Dir of UX - Nasdaq
@aaroni
aaron@thisisaaronslife.com
Discussing Design  
available now!
amazon.com  
O’reilly.com

Hold fast managing-teams

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