We see you, chameleons
Sometimes during icebreakers, work events or games, people will ask, “What is your spirit animal?” Usually folks choose brave, strong, complicated or lovable options (the elegant eagle, wise owl, powerful lion or huggable Labrador). My spirit animal? The chameleon.
I don’t have a slimy snake for a pet and don’t enjoy holding lizards (no judgment!), but I definitely identify professionally with the multicolored reptile in many ways — and this identity has only been strengthened by being a part of the emerging Design Program Management (DPM) discipline at Facebook.
I’m proud of our Swiss Army-knife skills, our unique ability to adapt to different teams and roles and find a way to succeed no matter the situation. Being a DPM is all about adaptation and social signaling. We assess each design team’s needs and find a match to fill the gaps. By adapting to our team’s needs, we build strong connections and demonstrate what teamwork and collaboration really mean.
Because the chameleon is adept at blending in, the DPM’s work isn’t always apparent. Have you recently attended a well-organized and insightful event or witnessed a program launching on time with amazing results? Perhaps you walked through an office full of art and posters and were able to get a clear sense of the company culture. Maybe you attended a particularly impactful meeting that had all the right people in the room talking about the most important topics, which resulted in a detailed set of follow-up plans. Well, guess what? People made that stuff happen! And those people are usually chameleons. I’d wager that you’ve reaped the benefits of a DPM’s talents more often than you’re aware.
Often people don’t think about who is behind the planning, rigor, and operational excellence that it takes to execute at the highest levels. We’re a group of firefighters and gap fillers who jump in where needed to untangle, decode, facilitate, fix and move on (leaving, of course, a hyper-organized step-by-step playbook in our wake), but I sometimes worry that our work isn’t visible enough or that having masterly jack-of-all-trades abilities isn’t a discrete function. Maybe we should specialize in one field, such as a designer, engineer or researcher.
But then I remember that the most successful teams have a strong leader and strong doers — and they they also have incredible chemistry and flow that comes from seamless handoffs and effortless collaboration. Not every team at Facebook has a DPM in their number, but the teams that do have that flow and seamlessness more often than those who do not.
Yes, being a chameleon has its downsides — with remarkable camouflage can come a lack of recognition, easy dismissal of our work or a misunderstanding of our role. As with any emerging practice, we take on the burden of continually educating our partners on what we do and how we can use our talents to help. We must see these challenges as opportunities to grow the discipline.
So to all the chameleons out there: Not only do we see you, but we applaud you. Your role is not just important, it’s instrumental. Be proud of your work and know that as the practice of Design Program Management evolves and expands, more and more teams will feel the impact we make in an organization. Already our small but growing community of Facebook DPMs has gained recognition, driven awareness of our work, learned from each other and bolstered our teams’ best practices.
Together we will continue to prove that we might not be the kings of the jungle, but we’re vital to the health of the ecosystem. #hugyourchameleon
