how to succeed as a ux research manager€¦ · collaboration skills do good research & uncover...
TRANSCRIPT
How to succeed as a UX Research Manager
Capitalizing on your strengths as a Researcher
The UX LIVE Conference 2019
Monal Chokshi(@monalchokshi)
November 2019
🙌
Questions for you
Dot.com Startups
Dot.com Startups
Dot.com Startups
Dot.com Startups
Dot.com Startups
UX Researchers do make great managers.
UX Researchers do make great managers. 🙌
In this talk...
• What makes for a good manager?
• Three parts to managing
• Why UX Researchers make great managers
What makes for a good manager?
Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook
Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook
[Managers] share a common purpose: helping a group of people achieve a common goal. [...] A great manager’s team will consistently achieve great outcomes.
“
“Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders”Harvard Business Review, 2013
Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal.
Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward
organizational success.
“
“Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders”Harvard Business Review, 2013
Mia BlumeDesign Leadership Coach; CEO of Design Dept
Management is a role. Leadership is how you show up.
“
Management Leadership
Management Leadership
Organizes
Delegates
Plans
Management Leadership
Influences
Motivates
Excites
Organizes
Delegates
Plans
Management Leadership
SweetSpot
Influences
Motivates
Excites
Organizes
Delegates
Plans
3 parts to managing
MANAGINGDOWN
MANAGINGACROSS
MANAGINGUP
MANAGINGDOWN
MANAGINGACROSS
MANAGINGUP
People & Team MgmtProject & Resource Mgmt
MANAGINGDOWN
MANAGINGACROSS
MANAGINGUP
People & Team MgmtProject & Resource Mgmt
Building relationshipsGarnering influence
People & Team MgmtProject & Resource Mgmt
Building relationshipsGarnering influence
Elevating & advocatingDemonstrating influence
MANAGINGDOWN
MANAGINGACROSS
MANAGINGUP
Managing down
Managing Down
Purpose People Process
Managing Down
Purpose People Process The Work
PurposeMANAGING DOWN
• Setting a Vision
MANAGING DOWN
Improve people’s lives with the world’s best
transportation
Purpose // Setting a Vision
Improve people’s lives with the world’s best
transportation
MANAGING DOWN
Purpose // Setting a Vision
MANAGING DOWN
Purpose // Setting a Vision
We improve people’s lives by driving strategic user-centered decisions for our products and
company.
Through our insights, we align stakeholders and build company-wide user empathy.
PurposeMANAGING DOWN
PurposeMANAGING DOWN
We’ve got this! 🙌🏽
PurposeMANAGING DOWN
Interviewing stakeholders,facilitation skills
We’ve got this! 🙌🏽
• Giving feedback• Developing talent• Building culture
PeopleMANAGING DOWN
People // Giving FeedbackMANAGING DOWN
People // Giving FeedbackMANAGING DOWN
👎 ⏱ 👏
People // Developing TalentMANAGING DOWN
People // Developing TalentMANAGING DOWN
People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN
“High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety”Harvard Business Review, 2017
People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN
Psychological safety allows for moderate risk-taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and sticking your neck out without fear of having it cut off — just the types of
behavior that lead to market breakthroughs.
“
“High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety”Harvard Business Review, 2017
People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN
People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN
PeopleMANAGING DOWN
We’ve got this!
PeopleMANAGING DOWN
🙌🏻
Empathy, active listening, asking good questions, observation
We’ve got this!
PeopleMANAGING DOWN
🙌🏻
• Planning & Resourcing• Creating processes• Removing blockers
ProcessMANAGING DOWN
Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN
Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN
Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN
Research across lifecycle💪🏻
Embedded team model:
Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN
Research across lifecycle
Go-to expert
💪🏻💪🏽
Embedded team model:
Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN
Research across lifecycle
Go-to expert
Seat at the table
💪🏻💪🏽💪🏿
Embedded team model:
Process // Creating ProcessesMANAGING DOWN
Process // Creating ProcessesMANAGING DOWN
Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook
Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook
As a manager, part of your job [is] the cultivation of playbooks: how to run a team meeting, how to close a new hire, how to complete a project on time and on budget.
Process // Creating ProcessesMANAGING DOWN
“
Process // Removing BlockersMANAGING DOWN
Process // Removing BlockersMANAGING DOWN
ProcessMANAGING DOWN
ProcessMANAGING DOWN
We’ve got this! 🙌🏾
Research with stakeholders, organizational skills, empathy, communication
ProcessMANAGING DOWN
We’ve got this! 🙌🏾
• Empowering your team• Setting clear expectations
The WorkMANAGING DOWN
“Management Vs. Leadership: Five Ways They Are Different”Forbes, 2016
The Work // Empowering your team MANAGING DOWN
“Management Vs. Leadership: Five Ways They Are Different”Forbes, 2016
Leadership requires you to rely on someone else…. You have to trust their instincts and trust yourself to put your faith in someone who isn't you. That is hard for a lot of managers…
“The Work // Empowering your team MANAGING DOWN
The Work // Setting clear expectations MANAGING DOWN
Image credit: https://hrnasty.com/setting-expecations/
MANAGING DOWN
The Work // Setting clear expectations
The WorkMANAGING DOWN
We’ve got this!
The WorkMANAGING DOWN
🙌🏼
Empathy, synthesis, communication
The WorkMANAGING DOWN
We’ve got this! 🙌🏼
Empowering your teamSetting clear expectations
Setting a Vision Giving feedbackDeveloping talentBuilding culture
Planning & ResourcingCreating processesRemoving blockers
Managing Down
Purpose People Process The Work
Managing across
Managing Across
BuildingRelationships +
Garnering influence
UXR
UXR MarketingInsights
Voice of Customer
Policy Research
Data Science
UXR
Voice of Customer
Policy Research
Data Science
MarketingInsights
Single Voice of
Truth
UXR
Voice of Customer
Policy Research
Data Science
MarketingInsights
Relationships + Garnering InfluenceMANAGING ACROSS
We’ve got this!
Relationships + Garnering InfluenceMANAGING ACROSS
🙌🏿
Empathy, communication, collaboration
We’ve got this!
Relationships + Garnering InfluenceMANAGING ACROSS
🙌🏿
Managing up
Managing Up
Elevating / Advocating +
Demonstrating influence
“What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up” Harvard Business Review, 2015
MANAGING UP
The most important skill to master is figuring out how to be a genuine source of help… creating value for your boss and your company.
“What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up” Harvard Business Review, 2015
“
MANAGING UP
Building relationships⭐
MANAGING UP
Building relationships
Driving visibility
⭐⭐
MANAGING UP
Building relationships
Driving visibility
Demonstrating influence
⭐⭐⭐
MANAGING UP
Building relationships
Driving visibility
Demonstrating influence
Driving strategic business decisions
⭐⭐⭐⭐
MANAGING UP
Building relationships
Driving visibility
Demonstrating influence
Driving strategic business decisions
Evangelizing UXR
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MANAGING UP
The more we can point to business successes
as a result of our research, the better we’ll do at growing our teams,
and thus help create a more user-centered organization.
MANAGING UP
MANAGING UP
Elevating / Advocating + Influence MANAGING UP
We’ve got this!
Elevating / Advocating + Influence MANAGING UP
🙌
Doing internal research, presenting, storytelling
Elevating / Advocating + Influence MANAGING UP
We’ve got this!🙌
MANAGINGDOWN
MANAGINGACROSS
MANAGINGUP
Internal research, presenting, storytelling
Empathy, communication, collaboration
Internal research, empathy, active listening, synthesis, communication, organizational skills, collaboration, observation, facilitation
MANAGINGDOWN
MANAGINGACROSS
MANAGINGUP
Why UXRs make great managers
Empathy💗
Attributes of UX Researchers
Empathy
Analytical Thinking
💗
Attributes of UX Researchers
Empathy
Analytical Thinking
Organizational skills
💗
📒
Attributes of UX Researchers
Empathy
Analytical Thinking
Organizational skills
💗
📒
Attributes of UX Researchers
Empathy
Analytical Thinking
Organizational skills
Communication & Collaboration skills
💗
📒🤝
Attributes of UX Researchers
Do good research & Uncover deep insights
50%
• Empathy• Analytical Thinking• Organizational skills
Do good research & Uncover deep insights
50%
• Empathy• Analytical Thinking• Organizational skills
• Communication & Collaboration skills
Do good research & Uncover deep insights
Influence & drive decisions
50% 50%
Empathy
Analytical Thinking
Organizational skills
Communication & Collaboration skills
💗
📒🤝
Attributes of UX Researchers
“Decoding leadership: What really matters”McKinsey, 2015
Just 4 kinds of behavior account for
89% of leadership effectiveness
“Decoding leadership: What really matters”McKinsey, 2015
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive “Understand and sense how other people feel…. [By] showing a sincere interest in those around them, they build trust…”
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive Empathy
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive
Solve problems effectively “Problem solving, when information is gathered, analyzed, and considered, precedes decision making.”
(McKinsey, 2015)
89% of Leadership effectivenessBe supportive
Solve problems effectively Analytical Thinking
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive
Solve problems effectively
Operate w/strong results orientation “Emphasize the importance of efficiency and productivity and prioritize the highest-value work.”
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive
Solve problems effectively
Operate w/strong results orientation Organizational Skills
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive
Solve problems effectively
Operate w/strong results orientation
Seek different perspectives “Encourage employees to contribute ideas, [...] give appropriate weight to stakeholder concerns”
89% of Leadership effectiveness
(McKinsey, 2015)
Be supportive
Solve problems effectively
Operate w/strong results orientation
Seek different perspectives Communication & Collaboration
89% of Leadership effectivenessBe supportive Empathy
Solve problems effectively Analytical Thinking
Operate w/strong results orientation Organizational Skills
Seek different perspectives Communication & Collaboration
(McKinsey, 2015)
We’ve got this! 🙌🏽
Amaya Becvar WeddleSr Director, MINDBODY
Arianna McClainDirector, UXR, Cruise
Annie K. SteeleHead of Research, Stripe
Gabriel TrionfiUX Research Mgr, Lyft
Amanda LindenDirector, Design, Facebook
Carol RossiDirector, UXR, NerdWallet
Jocelyn LandauDirector, Research, Netflix
Christina JanzerDirector of Research, Slack
Altay SendilHead of Research, Pinterest
Tara FranzUXR Lead, Oculus
Kat MurrayUX Research Mgr, Lyft
Acknowledgements
Thank you!
Monal Chokshi
@monalchokshi