UX Insights - User Experience Leadership and Strategy Podcast Por Paul Boag arte de portada

UX Insights - User Experience Leadership and Strategy

UX Insights - User Experience Leadership and Strategy

De: Paul Boag
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 Need quick, actionable insights to sharpen your UX leadership and strategy? Short on time but eager to grow your influence? UX strategist Paul Boag delivers concise, practical episodes designed to enhance your strategic thinking, leadership skills, and impact in user experience. Each bite-sized podcast is just 6-10 minutes—perfect for busy UX leaders and advocates on the go.Boagworks Ltd Economía
Episodios
  • Auditing Your UX Resources: Making the Most of What You Have

    Auditing Your UX Resources: Making the Most of What You Have
    May 22 2025

    In previous lessons, we've discussed aligning your UX role with organizational goals and understanding your current position. Today, let’s explore the tangible resources you already have. Many UX leaders instinctively request more people, budget, or time. While there’s a place for such requests (which we'll cover later), effective UX leadership begins by honestly recognizing what's achievable within your existing means.

    I understand this exercise might initially feel discouraging, particularly if resources are limited. But the goal here isn’t to uncover hidden opportunities immediately; rather, it’s about having a clear and honest appraisal of your current situation. This will enable you to set realistic expectations with senior leadership and articulate your needs more effectively.

    Budget: Understanding Your Current Limits

    Start by assessing your current budget honestly. Can you directly purchase tools, or do you always need approval? If you require approval, how supportive is your manager, and roughly how much per year can you typically spend without causing friction? Knowing your financial constraints and managerial support is essential for realistic planning.

    Tools and Software: Inventory and Optimize

    Clearly identify the tools already available to you, from user research platforms and design tools like Figma, to analytics platforms. Evaluate if you're spending effectively on these tools; could you reduce spending on applications you only occasionally use and reallocate that budget to areas of greater value? This clarity reveals immediate opportunities for optimization and highlights critical gaps.

    Staff and Support: Maximizing Existing Teams

    Next clearly understand what internal or external teams are already at your disposal. Make an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, identifying how you can maximize the value of your current staff or partners. Consider how AI tools could augment your team's capabilities and improve efficiency, rather than immediately requesting additional headcount.

    Training: Leveraging Available Opportunities

    Evaluate existing opportunities for professional growth. Do you have current access to training, webinars, or coaching? Using these resources effectively will fill skill gaps without waiting for additional investment.

    Autonomy: Recognizing Your Current Influence

    Reflect honestly on your current autonomy. Do you have the authority to set policies relating to user experience? Do you get to decide and prioritize your own work? Can you influence broader approaches that teams use when developing products and services? Identifying the boundaries of your current influence helps you strategically expand it over time.

    Supporters: Leveraging Existing Relationships

    Identify your current supporters within the organization. Who already values UX? Building and nurturing these relationships is critical. Regularly engaging with your advocates, encouraging their support, and ensuring they see the positive impact of their involvement can significantly amplify your effectiveness, even with limited resources.

    Your Action Step

    Take 10 minutes today to jot down honest bullet points under these resource categories. Recognizing what you already have is crucial for practical planning. When you’re finished, reply to this email sharing one surprising strength or unexpected gap you uncovered. Your insights help me shape what we cover going forward.

    In the next email, we'll explore how to effectively present your findings to management. Don’t worry, we'll also revisit resources and influence later in the course, ensuring your strategy is as impactful as possible.
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    3 m
  • Baking UX into the DNA of Your Organization’s Strategy

    Baking UX into the DNA of Your Organization’s Strategy
    May 15 2025
    In the previous lesson, I asked you to take an initial look at your role, your resources, and your reach. Now, over the next three lessons, we're going to dive into those three areas in more detail, starting with your role and how it aligns with something much bigger: your organization's goals.Because if you want UX to be seen as more than a support function, you can’t define your role in isolation. You need to connect it to the outcomes your leadership team is already striving for.Why You Shouldn’t Ask for a Job DescriptionOne problem I often see is that UX practitioners implicitly wait for their manager to define their role. Maybe they don't directly ask "What should my role be?" but their behavior suggests they expect management to take the lead.The intention is good. The outcome usually isn’t.Most managers don’t have the time (or the context) to define your role in a meaningful way. They don’t know your full skill set. They don’t always understand UX deeply. And they’re juggling a dozen other priorities. So what do you get in return?Either something vague and generic. Or a polite but firm, “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”That’s not leadership. That’s maintenance.Instead of asking what your role should be, come to them with a proposal. Show that you’ve thought about where you can add the most value. Frame it in terms they care about. Make it easy for them to say yes.This isn't just a UX tip; it's a universal rule for working with leadership: never go to management with a problem unless you also bring a potential solution.The Secret Weapon: Your Organization’s StrategyEvery organization has a strategy document floating around somewhere. It might be a PowerPoint from the senior leadership team, a CEO memo, or a PDF in your company wiki that nobody’s opened since it was uploaded.Dig it out. Read it carefully.These documents are more than corporate fluff. They’re your map to influence.Inside, you’ll usually find the goals that matter most to leadership over the next 1 to 5 years. Things like:Reaching new customer segmentsIncreasing revenue per userImproving employee productivityStrengthening brand loyaltyReducing operational costsThese aren’t just executive priorities. They’re your starting points. Because when you tie UX to goals that are already considered urgent and important, people stop seeing your work as “nice to have.”Find the UX Angle in the Business GoalsTake each goal and ask yourself: How could UX contribute to this?You might be surprised how often the answer is “quite a lot.”For example:If the goal is to improve employee satisfaction, you might look at the internal tools staff use every day. Could they be more intuitive, faster, or less frustrating?If it’s about growing market share among Gen Z, consider whether your digital products align with their expectations around speed, personalization, or visual language.If leadership wants to reduce support costs, you could examine the onboarding experience, help content, or navigation to reduce friction and prevent confusion.Now, not every goal will have a clear UX application. You don’t need to force it. Your job here is to find the intersections—where user experience has a natural role to play in business success.Prioritize Where You Can Make the Most DifferenceOnce you’ve mapped out a few potential connections, it’s time to focus.Ask two questions:How important is this goal to the business right now?How much influence do I realistically have over it?Goals that rank high on both fronts should be your top priorities. That’s where you’ll have the best chance of delivering visible results and earning trust.Also, consider the feasibility. Some goals might be technically within your remit but would require fighting through years of legacy systems or organizational red tape. Save those for later. Start where you can move quickly and show value.Write It Up as a One-Page Role VisionWith your priorities in place, draft a simple one-page proposal. This doesn’t need to be formal or fancy. It just needs to show your thinking.Structure it like this:Your Understanding of Company Goals: A brief summary in your own words.Where UX Can Contribute: A few bullet points on how user experience can support each goal.Your Role: A description of how you propose to spend your time and focus your energy.Next Steps: What you’d like to do next, and any input or validation you’re seeking from your manager.Here's a simplified example focusing on just one goal (you'll want to do this exercise for each relevant business objective):Company Goal: Increase first-year customer retention by 15%. UX Contribution: Redesign the onboarding experience, improve clarity of initial comms, run usability testing on account setup. My Role: Lead a cross-functional initiative to streamline onboarding and reduce user drop-off within the first 30 days. Next Step: Kick off initial discovery sessions with Customer Support and ...
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    6 m
  • Before We Charge Ahead, Let’s See Where We’re Standing

    Before We Charge Ahead, Let’s See Where We’re Standing
    May 8 2025
    Hi there,In Lesson 1 we travelled from Roman amphitheaters to modern apps and saw that user experience is not what many consider it to be and needs repositioning. In Lesson 2 I asked whether you’re ready to lead that charge inside your organization. Today we roll up our sleeves and start that journey.The UX Maturity SpectrumOrganizations vary widely in their approach to UX. Some have established teams but treat UX as mere window dressing - "make it pretty". Others offload random tasks onto designers or forget UX exists until something breaks.Then there are companies just starting out, wondering how to even begin thinking about user experience.Whether you're trying to elevate an existing UX function or build one from scratch, there's work to be done.Why Start With An AuditI've seen many well-meaning UX champions charge into organizations like bulls in a china shop, alienating stakeholders with grandiose visions and unrealistic demands.So, before diving into any repositioning or new initiatives, we need an honest snapshot of where things stand. An audit is crucial because it:Ensures any vision or strategy we develop is grounded in reality, not wishful thinkingIdentifies hidden strengths and opportunities we might otherwise missReveals potential roadblocks before they derail our effortsHelps build a compelling case for changeThree Key Areas to AssessTo get a clear picture of where your organization stands with UX, we need to examine three critical areas:Role and PerceptionStart by understanding the gap between current expectations and potential. What does your organization believe UX should deliver? How does this compare to your vision for UX's role? Remember to focus on organizational goals - UX isn't just about improving user experience, it's about driving business outcomes.Available ResourcesInstead of dwelling on what's missing, take stock of what you already have. This includes your current budget, tools, level of autonomy, available time, and potential allies. Being realistic about your resources helps build achievable plans.Points of InfluenceMap out where you can already make an impact. Which decision-makers trust your judgment? What policies or assets fall under your influence? Understanding your sphere of influence helps identify where you can start making changes.Approach this assessment like a detective gathering evidence - quietly and methodically. Hold off on big presentations or headcount discussions for now. This groundwork will ensure that when we develop our strategy, it's both ambitious and achievable from where we're starting.Start Where You AreI know that right now you might be thinking "That's all well and good Paul, but I don't have the authority to make any real changes." I hear you. The idea of auditing and reshaping UX's role might feel impossible given your current position or organizational constraints.But don't let that stop you from this initial assessment. We'll tackle the "how to sell it" part in future lessons. For now, just focus on understanding where things stand - both the challenges and opportunities. This groundwork will prove invaluable when we get to implementing change.Agency & Freelancer NoteIf you run an agency or work as a freelancer, you might think this audit process doesn't apply to you. But it absolutely does - just from a different angle.Consider these three areas from your business perspective:Role and PerceptionHow do your clients typically view UX services? Are you seen as "the design people" or trusted strategic partners? Understanding this gap between current perception and your vision helps shape how you position your services and educate clients.Available ResourcesTake stock of your UX capabilities. This includes your team's expertise, case studies, methodologies, tools, and processes. What makes your approach unique? Where might you need to strengthen your offering?Points of InfluenceWhich clients already trust your strategic input? Where have you successfully shaped a client's approach to UX? These relationships and success stories become powerful tools for influencing future clients and expanding your impact.This audit helps you identify where to focus your business development efforts and how to better position your UX services. It might reveal opportunities to expand your offering or highlight areas where you need to better communicate your value.Your TurnGrab a sheet of paper (or your notes app) and jot down three columns headed Role, Resources, Leverage. Spend ten minutes filling each one with bullet points. Aim for brutal honesty. When you’re done, reply to this email and tell me one surprise you uncovered. I read every response and they shape the next lessons.In the next email we'll start with the first of the three parts in our audit. We will explore how to redefine UX's role to focus on business outcomes rather than just user needs. For now, let's get clear on where we stand.Talk soon,Paul
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    4 m
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