What does pizza have to do with human centered design?
I recently had the privilege to (be an Ivy League’er for a week and) learn alongside other Creative Leaders at Yale in their School of Management. I am still digesting the massive amounts of information that we learned (as well as the pretty epic dinners New Haven had to offer — which included the pizza we got to make!) As I reflect, there are three main epiphanies that I will to act on immediately.
The commonality of all three of them is they are all human-centered in nature and underscore the need to listen, be actively engaged and open to new ideas. It’s no surprise then, that companies with creativity as an imperative are outperforming other companies, since all of these human-centered qualities have always been essential to the success of being a creative professional.
I share these in hopes that you too will see the value of these insights without needing to pour through all the research we discussed at Yale. (Although, I am happy to share resources with anyone that wants the firehose. Just hit me up!)
Epiphany 1: We need to change how we change
Repeating the same old patterns expecting different results is crazy talk
At the crossroads of personalization, privacy and technical evolution, we are still relying on past change management techniques and are surprised when there is less-than-stellar change (or no change at all). Incentives are only effective in the short term and end up being costly when used as a long term change strategy. They then become table stakes and no longer incentivize.
We should also be clearer about our “why” whether it is for change or for the company as a whole. Connection to brands’ or companies’ mission is the number one driver of retention, as employees or customers. Apple is a clear example, but there are many more. Simon Sinek discusses this principle best in his TEDtalk of his “Golden Circle”.
There is too much change and too much at stake to rely on one-size-fits-all messaging, incentives and an unclear “why”. It may take more work initially to break old habits and set up better ones. The good news is that there is technology available to support good habits and help harness automation without sacrificing a personalized experience.
We should be thanking millennials, not blaming them
The millennial and post millennial generations get a bad reputation for being high maintenance but truth be told, we are all high maintenance. They are just more vocal about their needs which are core to any customer or employee today.
With anywhere from 4–6 generations in the workforce, there is already more diversity to deal with. Couple that with uncertainty and technology advances, the office is changing quicker than at any other point in industrial history and older generations are adapting to new behaviors, not the other way around.
The needs of millennials (and really everyone) has created an urgency for more aspirational leadership. Which, also coincidentally, is the type of leadership needed to navigate the complex change-scape* we see ahead. So, thank the next millennial you meet for vocalizing what we all really want.
It’s time to evolve decisions
In times of uncertainty and change, most people default to autocratic decision making — which means that they don’t include others in the process and rely more on their personal expertise. Unfortunately, this default is the exact opposite of the type of decision making that is most effective in times of uncertainty and change. Most change efforts fail in the first phase of change, known as “unfreeze” or the mobilize phase, in large part due to this mismatch of decision making.
If we make more of a conscious effort to get the first phase of change right as well as balance the benefits of including others in the decisions, we’ll increase our rates of success. It shouldn’t cost any more time to do this, it is more about being aware and prepared up front and vigilant throughout all phases of the change.
Epiphany 2: Good negotiation is good listening in disguise.
We need a bigger pie
Negotiations are another thing that gets a bad reputation. This is because they are often done poorly or manipulated to take advantage of a situation (think sleazy used car salesman**). In reality, they can be used to improve the situation of everyone involved.
To do this, the pie of what is being negotiated needs to be as big as it possibly can at the very start. Most people (myself included) begin dividing the pie, staking claims or making compromises too soon. Which is why it is always better to make the pie bigger first; then go from there. If the pie is bigger to begin with, it will make the division easier and everyone should get more than they would have without this first step. We do this by learning about what is important to the other party.
Empathy is not required
Don’t get me wrong, I am a believer in empathy. I see it’s positive effects in all the work I do. The point here is more about the importance of listening over empathy when in a negotiation. You don’t need to feel a person’s perspective as much as you need to listen to their needs.
Listen to what they need and why they need it. The negotiation should not be fighting but learning as much as you can about the what, the order of the what and the why.
The magic question: what would it take?
This question does a lot more than just give insights to the what. It also is respectful of the recipient, makes them complicit with the outcome and shifts the weight to a collaborative discussion as opposed to a defensive discussion.
It is persuasive in structure, takes “no” out of the equation and puts the problem out there without blame.
Not all negotiation is persuasive but when it is needed, the magic question is a short cut to the heart of the discussion.
Epiphany 3: Employee engagement is more than the myths
Engagement is easier to provide
Hygienes will not bring about the satisfaction that motivators will. Hygienes are things like salary, benefits, tools to do the job, spaces without distraction, office climate, accessibility and office perks. Hygienes are table stakes and have to be there for employees not to be dissatisfied. They do not determine satisfaction, however; motivators are what drive satisfaction.
Interestingly, we actually have more control of motivators. They are more flexible, easier to provide and usually cost less.
Motivators include:
- Meaningful work
- Autonomy
- Challenge and growth
- Achievement and recognition
Motivators do require a shift to aspiration management not performance management. This will also require that we change what we measure. Listening for true motivators is the hardest part and the easiest. Pay attention, listen actively and discuss openly what matters most.
Engagement is harder to fake
The best analogy I heard to describe this was an egg and bacon breakfast. In this case, who is more engaged — the chicken or the pig? Forgiveness from PETA here, but the pig is way more engaged than the chicken in this breakfast. And in that example, engagement is impossible to fake.
The traits we need in employees in a growing, changing organization (and who isn’t striving to do both) are harder to display without true engagement.
These traits include:
- Innovation
- Customer empathy
- Knowledge transfer
- Integrity
- Teamwork
- Sustainability
This makes the act of engaging employees more urgent and an imperative. Addressing employee satisfaction through motivators will drive engagement, while in turn, creating more enthusiastic, committed people that are involved beyond what is required.
On the last day of the Creative Leaders program, I received a certificate that shows I completed it but my learning is just beginning. Truly listening and being actively engaged and open to new ideas is hard work and scary. It involves humility, vulnerability and tenacity — all of which also came up a lot over the week of education. Making the world a better place for other humans is no small feat but I believe it is possible.***
Let’s start today. Pass me a slice.
_______
*not a real word, but I’ll happily take credit if it catches on
**not all used car salesmen are sleazy — or are men for that matter
***despite what the news says
