Key Learnings from a Design Manager
I was interviewed internally within VMware a while back to speak about my experiences as a Design Manager and specifically the transition from being an individual contributor to a people manager. Below are the excerpts from the interview. Do let me know what you think.
What was your experience as a first-time product design manager?
When I became a manager, I went into a “Change Ninja mode,” implementing new processes, etc. I didn’t even take the time to understand the team or individual team members. Needless to say, this caused a few ripples, and I quickly learned that I’d need at least a month to get a real sense of things before I could suggest any changes.
I got my fingers burnt multiple times before I realized a simple fact: Not everyone has the same degree of motivation. A manager’s primary goal must be to understand how to keep the team (as a collective) excited, and how to keep individuals motivated by providing them with avenues to keep evolving and growing in their careers. A design team has a variety of personalities. Some may be focused on design and creativity, while some others may be more data/research-oriented. So, even as you help people set individual goals, it is important to keep an eye on high-level team goals. And you need to clearly understand the people on your team to know if the team can meet these goals. It is silly to expect the same kind of output from everyone on the team. A junior designer may not deliver at the same level as a senior designer.
I remember a quote from Jeff Bezos. He said this during an interview at the Economic Club of Washington. “As a senior executive, you are paid to make a small number of high-quality decisions.” I think it’s important to have a clear mind and a clearer picture of where you want to go as a team, and then all decisions, big and small, can be taken to meet those goals.
Is there a formula to working well with other teams?
This is something I pulled out of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni. Designers work with a bunch of teams… product managers, developers, engineers, etc. There may be a little bit of tension between these various groups, and I feel that this tension is, to an extent, healthy when it comes to building a strong product. As a design manager, you want to make sure that everyone is rowing in the same direction. One way to look at this is to see the managers on the other teams as your “first” team while your own reports are your “second” team. This perspective helps in setting common goals, and building alignment from top to bottom. Also, it helps in delivering a clear message to all teams.
Often, managers are overly protective of their own team, and view other teams somewhat negatively. In the long run, this attitude is detrimental to the culture of the organization, and it harms the products, too.
How do you build a true connection with your direct reports?
I think 1:1s are really important. Setting time aside to chat with individuals on your team is an excellent idea. It helps them open up, and gives them an opportunity to ask you for help, if needed. It’s also a time to reflect on their individual goals, and provide them valuable, timely feedback. I think it’s important to highlight the positive aspects of their work before you move on to areas of improvement. Be clear and direct about how you expect them to work on the areas of improvement. Design is largely a subjective area, so refrain from telling them that their design wasn’t good enough, or that you expect more from them. Provide as objective feedback as you are able to.
The 1:1s are also helpful in building trust and camaraderie with the individual. This is the kind of relationship that you can lean on when you want the designer to assist with specific initiatives.
When it comes to team members, how do you balance a sense of autonomy with clear accountability?
Designers are creative individuals, and you want to give them space to express their creativity and provide novel solutions. But you also want to set some high-level timelines, and ensure that the team has clarity on business needs. And sometimes it helps to step in and help move the project forward (or at a tangent) so as to deliver the results that stakeholders are expecting.
Designers have an innate need to be creative and innovative, and this attitude may sometimes run counter to a sense of structure and goals. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation, though, and as managers, we can help maintain the balance. What helps is setting clear goals for individuals and the team. It’s also helpful to share with team members what the expectations are, and how they can lay out a foundation to grow their career.
Do you have any tips for hiring good candidates?
Over the last few years, our team has grown considerably. We try to hire the best talent we can. The idea is to be flexible with the people you are looking to hire because you also want to keep an eye on the overall team composition and culture, and account for how that can impact both short-term and long-term goals. We made a choice to hire in India, United States, and Bulgaria in order to have a 24*7 presence. We have also begun asking designers to suggest candidates. This helps us build a culture where team members feel a sense of responsibility for growing the team and finding the best candidates. Also, it educates them on the intricacies of hiring a designer.
Who are the managers, leaders, etc. that have influenced you the most?
I have had excellent mentors in Nick Sabadosh, Hemant Sahani, Adam Cianfichi, Anil Jagarlamudi, Tony Kueh, and others. These individuals have different leadership styles and philosophies, and I have gleaned valuable lessons from them over the years.
Ultimately, a design leader is only as strong as their team. Each member of our design team has pushed me to think in new and different ways, and to learn how to better handle situations. All these influences, from within the team and outside, have eventually amalgamated into and influenced my own leadership style.
Any parting thoughts?
Don’t forget to have fun with your team, and get to know them even outside of work. In our team, we take time to celebrate our wins and have fun outside work. In my experience, designers inject art and creativity into everything they touch. We spent many hours decorating our desks for Halloween, planning our costumes, and so on.
Here’s hoping to have more face-time with the team this year.
