How marvellous that you are supporting the development of design capabilities in our organisation. Below, I’d like to outline what it takes to make this effort a success and how you can help us in the process.
- Design is a creative discipline, but it is fact-based. We need to anchor our solutions in research. Our team is not omniscient; every solution needs to be grounded in qualitative or quantitative research to ensure we build something relevant and not just the result of one person’s fantasy. You need to be patient and allow time for that.
- Your role is to clarify our strategic direction as a business and create the guardrails within which the design team can create. Be clear on what the strategy is and be available for feedback.
- Design is not a vertical discipline or a silo; it needs to collaborate with other functions to ensure what we create is desirable, viable, and feasible. Advocate for this team so that others will give them time to join parts of the process. Legitimise their presence in this organisation.
- Design allows us to de-risk the development and launch of new solutions. It does this by testing and iterating before building a final product or service. It cannot be waterfall. Do not expect to gate development. We iterate, and as we do so, we learn more about the problem and the solution.
- Finally, whatever we do, if done well, will transform the way this organisation builds and delivers value to customers. Change is often painful, and we need to be ready to question what we know to be true with an open mind and with the belief that we are all here to make this organisation better.
Thanks Marzia... this is very helpful, and timely.
I'm wondering, do you have any thoughts about leadership competencies in an organisation that is building a design capability. I'm talking specifically about executives and other senior leaders that want to embrace design. However, are not design professionals and won't be 'on the tools' or leading the work like a Head of Design.
An example I currently use of a competency for my executive team, is what leadership behaviours they need to be aware of that can negatively impact design projects before they have a chance to succeed.
For example, where senior leaders do not allow for, or value the discovery process by insisting on solutions before the problem is fully articulated/appreciated or jumping to/insisting on the solution that they personally have in mind.
I love this! Below is how I would go about it.
Dear Executive Leader,
How marvellous that you are supporting the development of design capabilities in our organisation. Below, I’d like to outline what it takes to make this effort a success and how you can help us in the process.
- Design is a creative discipline, but it is fact-based. We need to anchor our solutions in research. Our team is not omniscient; every solution needs to be grounded in qualitative or quantitative research to ensure we build something relevant and not just the result of one person’s fantasy. You need to be patient and allow time for that.
- Your role is to clarify our strategic direction as a business and create the guardrails within which the design team can create. Be clear on what the strategy is and be available for feedback.
- Design is not a vertical discipline or a silo; it needs to collaborate with other functions to ensure what we create is desirable, viable, and feasible. Advocate for this team so that others will give them time to join parts of the process. Legitimise their presence in this organisation.
- Design allows us to de-risk the development and launch of new solutions. It does this by testing and iterating before building a final product or service. It cannot be waterfall. Do not expect to gate development. We iterate, and as we do so, we learn more about the problem and the solution.
- Finally, whatever we do, if done well, will transform the way this organisation builds and delivers value to customers. Change is often painful, and we need to be ready to question what we know to be true with an open mind and with the belief that we are all here to make this organisation better.
Are you with us?
Thanks Marzia... this is very helpful, and timely.
I'm wondering, do you have any thoughts about leadership competencies in an organisation that is building a design capability. I'm talking specifically about executives and other senior leaders that want to embrace design. However, are not design professionals and won't be 'on the tools' or leading the work like a Head of Design.
An example I currently use of a competency for my executive team, is what leadership behaviours they need to be aware of that can negatively impact design projects before they have a chance to succeed.
For example, where senior leaders do not allow for, or value the discovery process by insisting on solutions before the problem is fully articulated/appreciated or jumping to/insisting on the solution that they personally have in mind.