It’s that time of the year again, when we take pause during the holidays, and look back upon what has been wrought in our personal & professional lives — the good, the bad, and the ugly! 🫣 We often reflect (maybe with a few cringe-worthy regrets) and strive to spark inspiration for better, wiser behaviors and/or mindsets in the new year. I’m adjusting that approach slightly this year. So, instead of simply jotting out a list of reflections, I’d like to offer a few nuggets of advice per what I’ve encountered the past year — some of that advice written to the “younger me” a year ago! 😆
Hope you enjoy and find them useful, too! 🙌🏽 ✨
If you’re looking for a new job —
No sugar-coating here: it’s just brutal. 😬 Per my own direct experience hiring for an open role (which I lost a few weeks later due to a re-org — hey, it happens!), I know UX hiring managers are flooded with literally 500+ applicants for a job posting in design & research. And as hinted, there’s re-org/re-shuffling assignments per changing priorities. Internal employees transfer into open roles. And ongoing waves of layoffs to reduce costs, per intensifying pressures by investors & markets to improve the financials. My point is there’s often a LOT going on inside a company that you just don’t know about. 😔 It’s truly not personal if you’re ghosted or the application link suddenly disappears; it’s the dynamics amid harried times, including inside the company itself.
…and let’s not forget about AI! 🤖 It is increasingly used for recruiting automation, while still in its infancy of proven efficacy. The risks and problems are clear, but AI for recruiting is here to stay, thus adding to the challenge of “getting an interview”. 😬
Advice: Carefully consider how you are “fit for purpose” for the role you’re keen to apply for (obviously with limited/unknown insider context). By framing your distinct narrative while providing tangible evidence (artifacts, portfolio, playbook, etc.) which speak to that story of particular value and impact, you can increase your odds just a bit more. Be truly authentic, own your narrative, state your growth goals, and how you would provide specific value. ⭐️
Please also remember: if it doesn’t work out after a few rounds, then politely thank the (overloaded) recruiter and the (busy & stressed) design team for taking their crucial time to meet you. That memorable impression might lead to something fruitful another time!
If you’re pondering moving into management —
I’ll admit it — people stuff is hard. 😬 And being a manager is all about the people stuff, while addressing a range of tasks from the administrative, to the strategic.
From Google AI: it often involves navigating diverse personalities, emotions, expectations, and work styles, requiring a complex blend of communication, empathy, conflict resolution, and leadership skills, all while adapting to changing situations and individual needs within a team.
Sure, you will get a bigger paycheck, with a rank & title of respect, but also shoulder a greater burden of responsibility as the “manager” (or “director”, or whatever). You are now an authority figure with real consequential impact. 🤨 You have a team to take care of — their career growth, their task & project success, so forth. Also, how they fit within the broader organization in terms of future, evolving impact. You are viewed as a role model, for your peers and your direct reports, as well. Thus, expect that you will be compelled to handle very intense, difficult situations where you must make incredibly tough choices under a glaring spotlight, but you are looked upon to be decisive for the good of the project, team, and company.
There is nobody coming to save you; you have to make the call. You are the manager, after all!
Advice: Deeply assess your “people-ness” — how are you with awkward, contentious, emotional, psychologically demanding situations, that might challenge your own personal values, and vibes? What training might you need in terms of decision-making, negotiation, communication, and just plain ol’ smart politicking? Be truly honest about your motivations (is it the allure of more money, ego kick from the rank/title, or tired of pixel pushing, etc.) and your tolerances for the “hard stuff” — and where you might need support. 🤔
If you’re hoping for a promotion next year —
It is truly one of the most gratifying & enjoyable moments as a manager to nominate a direct report for a promotion — and have that be confirmed through the internal performance review calibration process. 🙌🏽 But as I’ve advised my team, promotion is an outcome (by-product) of performing at the next level for a sustained period of time, not a promised destination, simply due to various circumstantial factors involved, like company budget, being over-staffed (too top heavy), evolving team/organizational design, and long-term business need for a senior role.
Pro tip for fellow managers: never promise a promotion! You just can’t predict or know for certainty how things will be next quarter or year.
Now having been through the process a few times — including a few rejected nominees! — I can say promoting an employee is akin to rigorously preparing a strong, convincing legal argument with thoroughly documented evidence, testimonials, rationale for having someone at the next level on your team. In my experience, it’s kinda like defending a case to the Supreme Court; rigorous and intense. 😅 💥 Be ready!
Advice: For all y’all IC’s out there, don’t hope for a promotion — as the saying goes, “hope is not a strategy”. Instead, proactively engage with your manager; discuss the rationale & evidence that makes your nomination for promo to the next level a strong case. And build that case together, instead of pleading or insisting “I deserve it” — yeah, that really doesn’t work! 😆 It’s most effective when framed as a collaborative conversation to jointly identify key areas of impact, and areas of growth, with plans for training or opportunities/projects. Help your manager help you! By doing so, you’ll help them be successful in defending you, per the promotion review process. 🙏🏽
If you’re dealing with lower design maturity —
Having worked at a range of companies, I know there will be some teams or departments that are on the journey of design maturity — so the levels of maturity vary, as a function of people and the “baggage” or historical experience/perspective they bring. That’s just how it is. 🤷🏽♂️ Maybe a team was an acquisition where there was no design team before, or designers were used in a very minimal, sparing manner due to budgets — or biases. Whatever the case, it can be quite challenging to have to reset a process conversation, assess gaps or deficiencies, and establish rapport/trust towards a smooth, cohesive partnership — and it takes tremendous patience & time! With lots of candid, authentic (yet professional) feedback moments, as well. Personalities and processes go hand-in-hand. 🙃
Advice: Strive to meet the team where they are, by deploying those famous empathy skills! 😉 Deeply understand their motives, incentives, obstacles, and concerns, while realizing you are taking them out of their “comfort zone”. Active listening is paramount, while flexing your methods/processes to support them, knowing “the perfect design process” just won’t happen overnight. Like features introduced into a product, what elements of a cross-functional design process can be released & adopted over time, with a roadmap/trajectory of measurable — or at least observable — progress? Conduct health checks or retros periodically, and refine/iterate accordingly. Design maturity is a very long marathon indeed!
If you’re suffering from burnout —
No doubt, we’re all enduring some very challenging times now, across the board. I certainly dealt with some critical situations & adverse conditions that greatly stressed me, even broke me with very unhealthy impacts physically…and emotionally. 😣 It’s not good at all. I know many working in this field are burned out, or feeling disenchanted, even demoralized. Where is the incentive to continue grinding away? It can be so tough. 😞
Advice: Please do take time off, and focus on your mental wellbeing, without any apology! The reality is that your attitude/vibes might be very likely negatively impacting other people too, and not helping the project or initiative be successful. Consider how you are taking steps to move things forward for yourself, as well as for your team. 🙏🏽 Put the oxygen mask on yourself first, as they say.
