Summary
Trying to plan and collaborate across different teams whilst creating a cohesive culture can sometimes feel like a pipe dream. This is especially true as we start to work with more distributed teams and as we add more and more specialised functions to the mix, such as Design, Research, Content Strategy, Product Management, Engineering, Data Science…oh my! There are also a few common myths which are just not true in today’s modern team environment. Come along for a few laughs as we explore a few popular myths, debunk them and arm you with a few practical tips and ideas to help you build world-class products.
Key Insights
-
•
Rigid roles can lead to blame games and dysfunction.
-
•
Successful teamwork requires adaptability and understanding of team dynamics.
-
•
Encourage co-creation and joint accountability among team members.
-
•
Building trust takes intentional effort; it does not happen by chance.
-
•
Understanding how a project has evolved is as important as focusing on the current goals.
-
•
Teams should prioritize communication and social interactions to build relationships.
-
•
Effective processes should support human collaboration, not replace it.
-
•
Diverse perspectives can lead to better outcomes and prevent narrow thinking.
-
•
Meetings at the start of a project help build trust; they can reduce as trust grows.
-
•
Feedback on design should be encouraged from all team members to foster creativity and empathy.
Notable Quotes
"Solid roles and responsibilities won't magically solve everything."
"Effective teamwork is about having that clear purpose for the team."
"Teams constantly bicker over turf, blaming the various disciplines for their inability to meet deadlines."
"Who is not in the room is just as important as who is."
"Building great products is a team sport; you need to support one another."
"Trust takes effort, invest in it and be a human with your colleagues."
"A shared understanding of how you got here creates a sense of purpose."
"Don't blindly follow process expecting it to get you the results you want."
"Great process can lead to terrible results."
"Process is neither necessary nor sufficient for great design."
More Videos
"Designers are mutants, bridging gaps between disciplines."
John MaedaMaking Sense of Enterprise UX
June 9, 2016
"What we want is for organizations to step away from demographics to understand people as cognitive beings."
Indi YoungThinking styles: Mend hidden cracks in your market
January 8, 2025
"Measuring the wrong success indicators can stifle progress and growth."
Chris ChapoData Science and Design: A Tale of Two Tribes
May 13, 2015
"The creation of trust leads to better communication tools."
Elizabeth ChurchillExploring Cadence: You, Your Team, and Your Enterprise
June 8, 2017
"Our work here is not done. This is a journey."
Rusha SopariwalaRemote, Together: Craft and Collaboration Across Disciplines, Borders, Time Zones, and a Design Org of 170+
June 9, 2022
"Not every project needs a response, nor does every RFP need a proposal."
George AyeThat Quiet Little Voice: When Design and Ethics Collide
November 16, 2022
"I care about my team's resilience, and I'm here to share some strategies and tactics that work well for us."
Ariba JahanTeam Resiliency Through a Pandemic
January 8, 2024
"Executive sponsorship is essential for scaling design thinking across the organization."
Julie Gitlin Esther RaiceDesign as an Agent of Digital Transformation at JPMC
June 9, 2021
"We can decide how to improve the trust of our users based on the way we are transparent with them."
Matteo GrattonCan Data and Ethics Live Together?
October 1, 2021
