Summary
Operations teams obsess about making the complex simple. We love smart defaults, systems, and process and are always looking for ways to help teams work better. As we focus on common operational deliverables, it’s easy to underinvest in the messy human challenges that are impossible to avoid as we scale user experience practices and teams. How might we be consistent and rigorous, while still leaving room for flexibility and divergent thinking? How might we be impact focused, while also accepting that not everything of value can be measured? How might we embrace process and ambiguity? This talk will explore the daunting task of showing up as efficient operational machines while also leaning into the creative, unpredictable, and human realities of our roles, and why it’s important for us to be able to do both.
Key Insights
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Embrace ambiguity to foster creativity and engagement.
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Process isn't always the solution; sometimes, allowing teams to operate freely leads to better outcomes.
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Utilize frameworks like Ostrom's IAD to assess when to intervene in team dynamics.
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Cultural building can thrive organically without heavy-handed management.
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Measure success qualitatively, not just quantitatively, to understand team satisfaction.
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Recognize the value of individual contributions in building team culture.
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In operations, focus on being supportive rather than controlling.
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Explicitly defining operating principles helps align team expectations and eases transitions.
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Navigating change requires attention to the emotional impacts of decisions on team members.
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Learn from external frameworks and adapt them to fit the unique context of your team.
Notable Quotes
"I will choose process over ambiguity every single time."
"Even in my early 20s, I was a total process nerd."
"The open seas are kind of the ultimate ambiguous space."
"The way that people make decisions and engage is influenced by many dynamic factors."
"Not everything that matters can be measured with numbers."
"I learned a ton from people like Eleanor Ostrom."
"Not all problems can be solved with a tool."
"Forcing myself to embrace ambiguity has made me a better operations person."
"I still love process but need to rethink it to allow for more nuance."
"Bringing out the best in humans should be a core goal of any organization."
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