Column: Management Matters

In my last column, I suggested that being a manager of UX is no better—and no worse—than being a great designer or user researcher, but the roles are very different. In fact, as the book The First 90 Days [1] points out, the skills that make you successful as an individual contributor are not the same skills you need as a leader.

Still, I was glad to see that a couple of people who talked with me after reading my column are being offered the opportunity to move into management roles and have decided to take the plunge. They asked me how they could make this transition a positive experience for them, their teams, and their companies. They were asking the right questions. This column discusses what attributes can help someone become a successful first-time UX manager—though these attributes are foundational elements for all managers. Read More

In response to previous Management Matters columns, readers have asked me to explain the differences between a manager and a leader. In this column, I’ll explain these differences and highlight the value of moving from a tactical management role to a strategic leadership role.

In today’s marketplace, products and services must provide great user experiences as a key differentiator, and every company is trying to outperform its competition. The only way to do that is to have highly talented employees who are deeply motivated to make a difference. Companies spend significant amounts of time and money to find and retain such employees. So one of the fundamental roles of a UX manager is to hire the best UX researchers and designers, then grow and retain these employees. Managers must function as multipliers, not detractors. Read More

In Part 1 of this two-part series, I highlighted some of the important differences between a manager and a leader. I also described how, when managers manage employees, that often means they’re directing employees to do things the way they would do them. Such managers function as critics rather than coaches. The challenge is that, when managers are more critical than constructive, they diminish their employees.

In contrast, good leaders are multipliers who inspire their employees to execute better than even those employees thought possible. When employees execute well and are happy, their leaders are usually successful, too. I also discussed the importance of being an advocate who coaches employees rather than acting as a critical adversary. Read More