Career pathing: five steps to building a clear career plan
One of the most frequent and rewarding conversations I have with designers across the industry is around career growth. Design is at a unique crossroads today. Companies are quickly realizing the value design can bring to the table. That realization is causing explosive growth in the demand for designers and
Scaling design teams and design recruiting
One of the most challenging roles a design leader plays is scaling a team. The way you get to help shape the culture and execution of dozens or hundreds of people is one of the most rewarding things you can do. As part of that, one of the most important
The shift to subscriptions and its impact on enterprise design teams
Today, in every enterprise company, there is a discussion about the shift to a Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model and the shift toward a subscription revenue model. Those two discussions are critical for design teams to understand and to use as a way to help drive a better
It's time for my next chapter
Earlier this week, I shared with my team that I’ll be leaving VMware at the end of February to pursue a new opportunity outside of VMware. It’s been quite a week ... VMware has been my professional home for close to a decade. Leading the design team at VMware
Your guide to resourcing discussions as a design manager
Budgeting and resourcing discussions are difficult conversations for most design managers. It’s hard for multiple reasons. First, nobody really prepares you for it. With engineering management, as an example, there is a need to have this resourcing conversation with the engineering team because their ability to deliver is critical
Do your 1:1s
If you’re a people manager, structuring and keeping your one on one meetings with your direct staff is critical in so many different ways. Whenever any manager complains about their ability to build trust, get better alignment, or drive faster decision making, I always ask if they have regular
Using a decision making framework: a deep dive into RAPID®
I’ve been thinking a lot about operational efficiency and how to build more efficient organizations lately. The velocity of decision making in an organization is at the core of how efficient that organization is overall. If you combine the velocity of decision making with the clarity and accountability required
Don’t assume all closed doors are locked
I once read a study that said if you close a room’s door without locking it and then ask people to go into that room, most people get stuck and won’t even try to open it. The point of the study was trying to highlight is how artificial
The lonely leader and compassion fatigue
Over the years, a common theme I’ve seen leaders across the industry talk about is the phenomenon of the lonely leader. Most leaders I talk to either feel or have felt at some point in their career, especially early in leadership journey, that their experience as a leader is
The surprising impact of sending thank you notes
Every week, I spend fifteen to thirty minutes sending thank you notes. I send them to members of my team, the larger cross-functional teams, and others across the organization. It's become a ritual for me and a ritual that is both satisfying and pays dividends in my relationships across the
