Design Leadership

It’s planning season! Time to set goals and priorities for next year. But great plans go beyond the what. They also tackle the why, how, and who. These six dimensions can turn good plans into great execution: strategy, people, process, technology, structure, and communication.

Too many teams mistake coordination for collaboration. Meetings multiply, documents circulate, and it feels productive. But real collaboration is something else entirely. Borrowing from UX practice, here’s how to move beyond parallel play and use structured workshops to help teams think together.

Asking "How would it work if it were magic?" sparks the kind of bold, human-centered thinking that pushes teams beyond the obvious.

Calling UX a “shared service” isn’t just inaccurate. It’s a subtle form of marginalization that undermines its role as a core product function alongside PM and Engineering.

To build a human-centered design capability, start by hiring strong generalists. Make inroads by building relationships and sharing impact.

A few weeks ago, I caught up with an old friend. Because he also happens to be a product manager, we spent a good portion of our...