building buy-in: internally positioning ux for executive impact. bigdesign2016

Building Buy-In: Internally Positioning UX

for Executive Impact

Brilliant Experience

John Whalen, PhD Tracy L Hayes

Introductions

Agenda: 1. Using your UX powers in your organization. 2. How to mature your UX practice.

“Anyone who has read the HBR gets the importance of UX, but that may not translate

into what it takes to do that.”

Let’s get our arms around the problem by studying our empathy patterns for our colleagues.

C-Suite Executive

When we interact with…

(Pompous Assholius)C-Suite Executive

Some might think…

C-Suite Executive

but keep in mind…

Motivations What Resonates- Pay Package - Profitability - Board

- Business performance - Brevity - Data driven recommendations

Weight of company on shoulders

VP Marketing


(Delusionus of Grandeuronomus)VP Marketing

Some might think…

Shaping company voiceVP Marketing

but keep in mind…

Motivations What Resonates- Brand - Customers - Sales

- Brand extension - Marketing data - Brand loyalty

Product Owner


(Randomnous Decisionasaurus)Product Owner

Some might think…

(Randomnous Decisionasaurus)Product Owner

But don’t forget…

Motivations What Resonates- Launch date - P & L - Customers

- An earned partnership - Data driven decisions - Achieving goals

Developer


(condescending-smurkasaurus)

Developer

Some might think…

Spends hours making it all work.Developer

But don’t forget…

Motivations What Resonates- Quality - Performance - Risk

- Understanding their tech stack - Willingness to compromise - Pizza

Moral of the story: We must use our UX powers

to solve for their needs.

If we want to move from…‣ Usability tester to insight generator

‣ Informing product to informing product roadmaps

‣ Utility player to strategic advisor

We need to evolve by building buy in:

1. Demonstrate Value

2. Empathize and Evangelize

3. Get Embedded in the System

4. Become Strategic Partner

Step 1. Demonstrate Value

Step 1. Demonstrate Value

a. Say YES

b. Create Usability Seal team

c. Have light touch, big impact

d. Share up

Bonus points: Pick your battles

“We already knew it, but you Humanized it”

Step 2. Empathize and Evangelize


a. Understand your Org’s Psychology

b. Teach

c. Translate findings

Step 3. Get Embedded in the System

Step 3. Get Embedded

a. Build leader-leader relationships

b. Embed UXers into product teams

c. Provide design principles

d. Build dataset

“I want my UX team to be independent and able to tell anyone the cold hard facts.”

Step 4. Become Strategic Partner


a. Immerse Executives

b. Make the Shift to Strategic Partner

c. Offer Insights to Sales and Marketing

d. Reduce Operational Inefficiencies

When UXers say:

Delight

Empathy

Disrupt

Synthesis

Prototype

Opportunity Mapping

Usability Testing

Heuristic review

Strategy

Iterative Design

Information Architecture

Feedback

Design-Thinking

Experience Journey

bit.ly/ux-impact #uxpa2016@johnwhalen

Executives hear:

Delight

Empathy

Disrupt

Synthesis

Experience Journey

PrototypeDesign-Thinking

Opportunity Mapping

Usability Testing

Heuristic review

Strategy

Iterative Design

Information Architecture

Feedback

$$$

COST OVERUN

BONUS RECINDED

MISSED METRICS

3 MORE MONTHS

Up your game‣ Design as competitive advantage

‣ Numbers moved, efficiencies gained

‣ Opportunity: Research leads to

Insights, Product Innovation

In Summary

Solve for their needs too!

Steps to Building Executive Buy-In:Step 1. Demonstrate Value

a. Create Usability Seal team

b. Light touch, big impact

c. Share up


a. Understand your Org’s Psychology

b. Teach

c. Translate findings

Step 3. Get Embedded in the System

a. Build leader-leader relationships

b. Embed UXers into product teams

c. Provide Design Principles

d. Build Dataset


a. Immerse Executives

b. Make the Shift to Strategic Partner

c. Offer Insights to Sales and Marketing

d. Reduce Operational Inefficiencies

Tracy L Hayes [email protected] linkedin.com/in/tracylhayes

Brilliant Experience

Thank you!

John Whalen [email protected] linkedin.com/in/johnwhalen