unicorns and other wild things

Unicorns and other wild thingsA crash course on thriving in organizations

that don’t know what to do with you#changeisstrange

alberta soranzo | @albertatreblaIA Summit 2013 – Baltimore, MD

Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

unicorns and other wild things | @albertatrebla | #changeisstrange IA Summit 2013 - Baltimore MD

me = INTJ

Illustration: Dan Willis

Hello!


Warm-up

The hunt

source: mamaslatinas.com


#hesaidit

When I think about what sort of person I would most like to have on a retainer, I think it would be a boss. A boss who could tell me what to do, because that makes everything easy when you’re working.

— A. Warhol


Check this out


Normal people

Yours TrulyEric Reiss

Lynn Boyden

Andrea Resmini

Chris Chandler

Jason Hobbs, Jeff Parks, Dan Klyn


Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

They see us like this


What is it that people want?

source The Economist via youtube.com

Richard Saul Wurman — The Economist's Ideas Economy: Informa;on 2012


Round 1

Roadblocks

source: angelairvin.com


Roadblocks

Ignorance

Unrealistic expectations

Resistance


Roadblock: Ignorance

ig·no·rance /ˈignərəns/

NounLack of knowledge or information.


Roadblock: Unrealistic Expectations

ex·pec·ta·tion /ˌekspekˈtāSHən/

NounA belief that someone will or should achieve something.


Roadblock: Resistance

re·sist·ance /riˈzistəns/

NounThe refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.

source drlynnesherman.com


Venn Diagram (gotta have one)

Ignorance

Expectations

ResistanceFEAR


Fear

Office Space (1994) – source virtualstapler.com


(New) Armano’s WTF-OMG!

based on http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2008/12/the-omgwtf-spectrum.html


Drill sergeant? Think again

source wikipedia.org


The “E” word

em·pa·thy /ˈempəTHē/


The “E” word

em·pa·thy /ˈempəTHē/

NounThe ability to understand and share the feelings of another.


Empathy is a three-way thing

Stakeholders

Users

You areHERE Colleagues


Be a journey companion


Round 2

The plan

source newlearningcentre.com


The plan (you have to have one)

PrepareVisualizeCommunicate


Prepare

Prepare•Do your homework• Be your own back-up •Offer alternatives


Visualize

Visualize• Sketches•Whiteboards•Diagrams• Print-outs• Anything, really.

source divergentmba.wordpress.com


Visualize

source divergentmba.wordpress.com


Remember Visualize?

Visualize• Sketches•Whiteboards•Diagrams• Print outs• Anything, really. • Anything that will translate what’s in

your mind into something that others can relate to.


Collective understanding

Create a collective understanding by building a common vocabulary and sets of shared references.


Bonus Round

Take a chance

source: annamanderson.com


Where does it come from?

Earn respect

Get design opportuni;es

Demonstrate value

External

source uxmag.com - Kim Bieler


Where does it come from?

Earn respect

Get design opportuni;es

Demonstrate value

ExternalCreate opportuni;es

Demonstrate value

Earn respect

Greater influence, more opportuni;es

Internal

source uxmag.com - Kim Bieler


Just do it, already


Before I go

Let me tell you a secret

source: afterpop.tv


Yup, I emailed this

source blog.okcupid.com


and this

source blog.okcupid.com


#whoissheanyway

alberta soranzo@albertatrebla

[email protected]

Thank you!

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

unicorns and other wild things

Technology