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The Call for

UX LEADERSHIP

Darren Hood

My Professional Footprint

What is leadership?

• Exercising authority over other people or groups

• Guiding or directing a group

• Operating with authority

• Influencing others

• Setting the pace or tempo for others to follow

Definitions

Why is leadership important?

• Sets examples

• Helps us to learn from those who’ve preceded us and grow

• Facilitates efficiency in our operation

• Keeps us from spinning our wheels

• Delivers us from dangers and pitfalls

Leadership is critical because it…

WHY IS LEADERSHIP IMPORTANT… For the UX Professional???

We left the back door openSite maps, sketches, content inventories, use cases, user stories, wireframes, prototypes, journey maps, task flows, remote user testing, ethnography, and other deliverables are a necessity and a good start…. but they’re not enough.

A History Lesson

Risks of not providing

The problems and issues that result from not providing leadership in UX spaces

Ways to provide

How you can function as a leader in your role, company,

and/or peer group(s)

Ways to develop

How to evolve and ascend to (or maintain) operation as a

leader in the world of UX

10 RISK FACTORS

12 METHODS

8 PATHS

Presentation Landscape10

RISKS OF NOT PROVIDING LEADERSHIP

A failure to positively impact stakeholders and management

≥≥≤

1

10 Risks of Not Providing

Missed opportunities to drive adoption

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2

10 Risks of Not Providing

Fosters (or furthers) misunderstanding of UX and its value

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3

10 Risks of Not Providing

Indirectly drives people from the core of UX’s purpose and benefit

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4

10 Risks of Not Providing

Opens the door for poseurs (deludes people into thinking anyone can operate as a UXer)

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5

10 Risks of Not Providing

Detrimentally impacts an organization’s UX maturity level

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6

10 Risks of Not Providing

Can shorten or abort UX’s shelf life in one’s company

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7

10 Risks of Not Providing

Leads to deployment of flawed products, services, and solutions

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8

10 Risks of Not Providing

Causes stakeholders and executives to view UX engagement as an option or a luxury

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9

10 Risks of Not Providing

Detracts from CX and BX

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10

10 Risks of Not Providing

WAYS TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP

Accurately define UX

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1

12 Ways to Provide

Evangelize about UX

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2

12 Ways to Provide

Validate all recommendations

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3

12 Ways to Provide

Strive to be ahead of the curve regarding technologies and trends

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4

12 Ways to Provide

Stress partnership with stakeholders

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5

12 Ways to Provide

Showcase UX’s value

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6

12 Ways to Provide

Be committed to earning trust

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7

12 Ways to Provide

Support growth of up and coming peers

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8

12 Ways to Provide

Spark institutionalization by spreading “infectious” design thinking

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9

12 Ways to Provide

Embrace constructive passiveness (i.e., excel at picking your battles)

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10

12 Ways to Provide

Demonstrate an intrepreneurial mindset

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11

12 Ways to Provide

Eliminate personal bias

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12

12 Ways to Provide

WAYS TO DEVELOP

Sharpen your collaborative saw

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1

8 Ways to Develop

Seek out opportunities to be criticized (and learn to shine in your responses)

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2

8 Ways to Develop

Grow your non-UX IQ (i.e., knowledge of your company’s culture)

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3

8 Ways to Develop

Take advantage of all company-oriented training (helps to learn about the company’s operation and business processes)

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4

8 Ways to Develop

Learn to speak “exec”

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5

8 Ways to Develop

Continuously develop your emotional intelligence (e.g., introspection, discipline, empathy, communication, relationship management, resilience, civility, etc.)

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6

8 Ways to Develop

Emotional Intelligence Timeout :-)

Be dedicated to esteeming the value of others

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7

8 Ways to Develop

Build and maintain a strong and viable PLN (personal learning network)

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8

8 Ways to Develop

LET’S PUT A FORK IN IT

The UX landscape

needs navigation

Contrary to popular belief…..

A UXer IS a leader.

Don’t just be “on the team”…..

Aspire to be such a leader.

Thank you! :-)Let’s connect!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwhood

@darrenhood @dhoodkent @emergeux