A Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps
Summary
Join panel moderator Maisee Xiong and Salesforce DesignOps practitioners for a conversation about what it means to build values-driven DesignOps programs, tools and relationships in order to cultivate belonging and prepare our global design teams to deliver their best work. Together we will: Discuss practical ways to weave values into our Ops work Consider what’s necessary to build community and culture for hybrid design teams Understand how effective onboarding tools can help new team members feel welcome Identify the design practices and tools that keep teams and leaders aligned
Key Insights
-
•
Including physical descriptions during virtual meetings fosters inclusivity for visually impaired team members.
-
•
Salesforce's V2MOM framework (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, Measures) aligns personal, team, and company values strategically.
-
•
Prioritizing design Ops initiatives through core values helps focus teams on work that builds connection, clarity, scalability, and kindness.
-
•
Slack workflows automate routine check-ins and gratitude sharing, enhancing remote team connection with minimal effort.
-
•
Regular peer recognition practices like 'Shout Out Thursdays' increase community and morale with low implementation effort.
-
•
Revamped onboarding processes developed with direct new hire input increase engagement and make remote welcome experiences feel supportive and confident.
-
•
Consistent, transparent communication from leadership, via structured cadences and messaging, builds trust and clarity across distributed teams.
-
•
Values serve as an anchor during rapid organizational change, helping teams to maintain trust and a cohesive culture.
-
•
Using design thinking principles such as user interviews and prototyping enhances the effectiveness of internal process improvements.
-
•
Addressing misalignment around values is best handled through private one-on-ones that explore individual perspectives before attempting realignment.
Notable Quotes
"We do this with intention of fostering a more inclusive experience for audience members who might be sight impaired."
"The V2MOM stands for Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures and is a framework every Salesforce employee uses."
"Our value of connection is brought to life through team offsites and weekly meetings with intentional moments to build connection."
"Showing gratitude through Slack workflows is a low effort, high impact way to build community and recognize everyday wins."
"Onboarding feels like somebody's holding your hand, even though you're remote, which makes a huge difference."
"Clear and consistent communication really keeps design leadership accountable and promotes transparency via knowledge sharing."
"Values determine the team environment you create; they permeate through leadership and affect performance and happiness."
"Trust takes time, hard work, and consistency to build, especially in times of change when time is a luxury we don't have."
"Always remember the power of your values in times of doubt and change; lean into what your team really stands for."
"If you find someone not following values, start with a one-on-one to understand their point of view and realign together."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The word obsessed is provocative and meant to push us to continually ask what can we do more."
Sara Asche Anderson Jamie KaspszakNot Your Ordinary Re-Brand: Design's Path to Driving Customer Obsession at Best Buy
January 8, 2024
"Taking time for visionary conversations is a mechanism to break out of incrementalism and incremental UX debt."
Satyam KantamneniDo You Have an Experience Vision?
March 23, 2023
"Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements—this is so close to what we do on a day-to-day basis with people."
Séamus ByrneAligning Teams with Choreography
January 8, 2024
"The store mobile device is the indispensable silent partner enabling store employees to balance task productivity and customer engagement."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Designers must learn code fundamentals to use AI effectively, akin to becoming apprentices to the world’s greatest software developers."
Erika FlowersThe Handoff is Dead: Design-Led Engineering with AI Agents
March 4, 2026
"The enterprise wants agencies to do the work as efficiently and independently as possible."
Melinda BelcherBridging the Gap: Making the Most of the Differences Between Agency and Enterprise
January 8, 2024
"Accessibility used to be considered an inspiring hack, something available only to the lucky few."
Sam ProulxTo Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
November 18, 2022
"AI can help us cut through noise and speed up the so-what part of insights but can’t replace human knowledge of strategy and customers."
Michelle Bejian Lotia Anne-Marie MorellRolling Out a Repository: How Zapier Centralizes Insights from Across their Organization
March 28, 2023
"Design thinking at IBM is not just for designers; it’s how we want all 380,000 people to think about problems."
Adam CutlerPeople + Places + Practices = Outcomes
June 8, 2016