Our UX Team for Red Hat's In-Vehicle Operating System

UX Leadership
How I support my teams

People
"A good manager doesn't fire people. He hires people and inspires people. People, Ryan. And people will never go out of business."
- Michael Scott
"The Office" is a silly show with some genuine honesty. To me, people are the most important asset to a team or company. Building trust, nurturing relationships, and creating a psychologically safe environment for everyone is a key priority. I do this through:
Weekly 1:1s with Associates and Stakeholders
Mentor and Mentee relationships
Understand and explain business strategy
Build trust
Thanking people

Mentoring a group of NCSU students during a Red Hat sponsored UX Project
Action
"Show me, don't tell me"
- Anton Chekhov
Action always trumps inaction. Creating an environment where people feel safe to take risks and learn from mistakes leads to innovation and inspiration.
I encourage taking action through:
Team communication and working sessions
Understand the problem
Servant leadership (I support you)
Celebrate the wins, no matter the size
Demonstrate how our actions create value

Meeting my first son, Lucas - little did I know how much adapting was ahead of me
Adapt
"Mike, Lucas never read that book"
- George Franke (My Dad)
Being a brand new Dad was both joyous and challenging. I kept reading baby books and was frustrated when my new son, Lucas, wasn't hitting the "scientific milestones". This is when my Dad dropped this wisdom on me.
I learned that no single framework or approach fits every situation:
Listen and connect
Connect business to UX
Map the User Journey and opportunities
Determine what success looks like and work backwards

Running a UX Workshop around Empathy
Empathy
"UX the UX"
- Me
This is a short phrase I often use with my teams. The intent is to highlight how important Empathy is, no matter the audience. Many UXers focus on the user - but focusing on the internal team is also critical. Less jargon, more human.
Some ways I approach this:
Are we making our team's work easier?
Could my grandmother understand this?
Reduce info overload
Model empathy to the team

Conflict is going to happen
Conflict
"For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate."
- Margaret Heffernan
Conflict is going to happen and is one of the biggest challenges of leadership. How we approach conflict and move into problem solving is what separates good from great.
Some ways I approach Conflict:
Listen to understand
Go on a listening tour
Focus on the work, not the person
Model how conflict can make a positive impact