Last week I had lunch with an old boss and some of my old colleagues. Things seemed to be going well for everyone and we traded stories about work and life just like the old days. Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh. Ramen. Sasquatch. Theories on styrofoam. That person who was super difficult to work with. Kids/dogs/families. Good times. I loved working them. They mentioned that they had been working with Grey Advertising and some of my old user research was very well received. Yeah I know, humblebrag, but it was still pretty cool to hear. For a second – I was on Mad Men.
I’d be willing to bet that most of us have put up with our fair share of crap around the office, but I’d also wager that most of us have at least a few people who we’d love to catch up with long after you no longer work together. That’s how I feel about this team. They are good people.
A piece of advice that my old boss often gave us was, “Being in an office is only 10% about your job. That’s the easy part. The other 90% is the work.”
This isn’t a lecture about how you shouldn’t date at the office. It’s also not about boundaries with colleagues, what you should-or-shouldn’t do, or a “don’t be an asshole” screed.
This is about making your life easier.
Whether solo or as part of a team, designers are often required to take ownership of problems, solve them, and then watch them be destroyed by the HIPPO’s who have the authority but not the user-focused perspective to do so. Or, a list of requirements is thrown over a wall and a deadline is set based on something arbitrary, irrelevant, or unrelated to the current work itself. It’s something that we all deal with, but there is a little something extra that most designers have to tolerate – the subjective beliefs and biases of those that fancy themselves experts.
Being in an office is only 10% about your job. That’s the easy part. The other 90% is the work. -A Wise Man
A core tenet of user-centered design is empathy for your user. And that’s exactly the same way you should handle difficult people and difficult situations. The relationships you have with your co-workers are uber-important if you want your work to get a fair shake. There are not many designers in the corporate world (in history?) who are gifted enough to simply submit their work and move on. The rest of us have to explain, present, stand up for, evangelize, and defend our designs. It’s easy to throw in the towel and make changes to keep things moving. But it’s also easy to push back so hard that you develop a reputation for being difficult to work with. The challenge is finding the fine line to walk with your company or clients. If you want to be successful, you have to play the game. You have to make your stakeholders believe that your ideas are their ideas. They’ve already earned their place, and they should get the credit. If you earn their trust and respect, they’ll get out of your way. They might even start rattling their sabers at others that stand in the way. Ultimately, it will be good for your career.
Do not underestimate the power of a united team. If you’re on a great team, others will notice. If you present a united front, it’s easier to make a case. Not necessarily because the team’s work is right-or-wrong, better-or-worse, but because the conviction and unity of the group gives social proof to the work. Having a consensus in advance means someone has to put themselves out on a limb to challenge the ideas. Those that are still willing to do so likely have a very good reason to do so – and you should listen. But most of the troublemakers will shut their mouths because they’re not really that concerned with the project or product itself. They’re concerned with looking good, gaining power, or politicking.
You can never please everyone, and you shouldn’t try to. But learning about your obstacles and understanding why they behave the way they do will go a long way towards a solution that will make everyone happy – including the most important people of all – the users.
So remember, being good at your job is the easy part. Make your team look good.
Step up your game.
