Summary
Ian discusses the evolution of design teams at Salesforce, reflecting on the challenges of aligning multiple directors and their approaches to performance evaluation. He highlights the anxiety surrounding career progression within teams and suggests that career development should be approached like a design project. Using frameworks derived from user experience practices, he emphasizes a non-linear approach to career paths and proposes actionable strategies—such as effective one-on-ones and personalized career workshops—to empower both employees and managers. Key themes include the importance of communication, recognizing individual strengths, fostering innovation, and creating collaborative environments to help individuals navigate their careers effectively.
Key Insights
-
•
Design principles can be applied to one's career development to foster personal growth.
-
•
Alignment among team members is crucial for effective performance evaluation.
-
•
Career progression does not have to follow a linear path; it can be a non-linear exploration of skills.
-
•
Encouraging a personal brand can empower individuals to clarify their career aspirations.
-
•
One-on-one meetings should have structure to ensure productive and focused conversations.
-
•
Organizations should foster environments where innovation and creativity thrive.
-
•
Communication skills are vital for conveying ideas and garnering respect in the workplace.
-
•
Recognizing each team member's unique contributions helps to create synergy within teams.
-
•
Workshops can facilitate open discussions about career paths, leading to collaborative learning.
-
•
It's essential to treat your career as a design project: take ownership and actively shape your trajectory.
Notable Quotes
"I realized this technique and these practices can be turned on ourselves."
"We had this anxiety around, what's the right path? Where do I go? How do I get there?"
"Careers as ladders are not, careers are like a framework."
"Don't let your job happen to you; design your career actively."
"The biggest challenge was alignment; we were discussing 90 people in three entirely different ways."
"People care about titles so much; it's about what you bring to the table, not just your title."
"You don't need all of these skills; you need the ones that matter for your career."
"Innovation doesn't mean breaking the rules, but it does mean thinking beyond them."
"You want to focus on the positives and minimize the negatives in your career."
"Your career is the only design project you'll ever own."
More Videos
"Being a design educator rather than just a designer helps teams collaborate effectively."
Julie Gitlin Esther RaiceDesign as an Agent of Digital Transformation at JPMC
June 9, 2021
"There are neurobiological changes that people experience when they have experienced trauma, regardless of formal diagnosis."
Rachael Dietkus, LCSW Uday Gajendar Dr. Dawn Emerick Dawn E. Shedrick, LCSWLeading through the long tail of trauma
July 13, 2022
"It's been a great ride, not always easy, but helping bring these books to an audience that deserves more attention."
Louis RosenfeldCoffee with Lou: Should You Write a (UX) Book?
March 7, 2024
"We want to create a prototype that captures the essence and ideal experience or a glimpse of what could be."
Sarah GallimoreInspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future
November 18, 2022
"You don't have to get there all at once."
John DonmoyerShipping your code generation experiments to production
June 11, 2025
"The stories you'll hear today reflect the world we live in and the concept of resilience."
Bria AlexanderTheme 1 Intro
September 23, 2024
"When the executives start getting involved, that's when you know your UX is critical."
JJ KercherA Roadmap for Maturing Design in the Enterprise
June 15, 2018
"Through the expertise of our speakers and your engagement, we forge the future of our industry"
Bria AlexanderTheme Two Intro
September 8, 2022
"Conventional user interfaces have a very low rate of information exchange."
Lukas Moro“Feels Like Paper!”: Interfacing AI through Paper
June 11, 2025
