Coping Mechanisms
A recent lecture I attended discussed some of the "fun" dynamics that exist in the professional world of experience design. I was reminded of several factors in my current situation that I find... shall we say... less that savory.As I let these issues bother more and more over the last few days I had a re-realization of how I have effectively coped with culture in the past (apologies in advance to all vegetarians/vegans).
Forget the fat & focus on the meat.
In essence, this is all about forgetting (or choosing not to focus on) the politics, personal pet peeves, immaturity of others, etc... and focusing on two main objectives, which are:
- Consistently deliver unquestionably exceptional work
- Do everything in my power to support and encourage objective #1 in everyone I work with.
In saying this, I acknowledge that there are some situations in which one's ability to effectively accomplish these two objectives is hindered by the situation itself. In these cases, I follow a completely different coping mechanism...
LEAVE THE ORGANIZATION
Any organizational structure, whether formal or cultural, which consistently inhibits your ability to contribute despite efforts to rectify the situation is not a structure you want to be a part of.
posted by matthewjdoty @ 5/29/2007 03:40:00 PM
4 Comments:
I generally agree with you. I've seen friends is tough, soul crushing situations where no good change can be enacted - or even worse sometimes, change is promised but never comes, and it's always been for the best that they leave.
I like to think of myself as someone who works hard, but also isn't afraid to question authority, or the status quo, to make change. Of course there's always those who agree with you, but prefer to keep their opinions to themselves. There's always an interesting balance to maintain!
what about ACTIVELY CHANGING the structure? changing it the way it will support your work goal?
in my understanding: wouldn't simply LEAVING THE ORGANIZATION violate your rule #2 ??? sometimes it just needs (a little) more work, time (of course), energy, understanding, knowledge, effort, social skills and ability to combine all this to positively influence (manipulate ;) "structures". but in most cases it's worth it!
in my very own understanding the main challenge of our job is not all about the user - of course our focus is user centered - but communicating our findings and knowledge towards our clients, companies, employers and team members in a way that they are able to understand and actively support it - that's in fact the most difficult part!!!
on the other hand - stepping back from our own (user focused) views in order to be able to listen and understand your team's backgrounds (knowledge & skills), way of thinking (mental models), by which goals every individual is driven... helps you, your project and your user! in the end, you are only as good as your team is! and growing with your team is a much greater and richer experience than searching for the already perfect team... but as i said, that's my very own opinion ;)
Then again you always have those who will not leave the organization because of their aspirations to get promoted. If they feel they are close to that- then they will most likely suck it up and comply with everything to achieve their promotion. Sometimes people just want to appease the bosses and that gives them a high.... very interesting dynamics huh?
yieksche,
from your ALL CAPS above, I'm assuming that you feel strongly about your position.
I agree with you.
Forget the fat and focus on the meat is all about the kind of, as you say "...work, time (of course), energy, understanding, knowledge, effort, social skills and ability to combine all this to positively influence (manipulate ;) 'structures'".
However, As I said in the post, there are some situations in which one's ability to effectively accomplish this is limited due to the situation itself.
The real zinger is discovering the point at which one needs to either keep trying or cut their losses.
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