Enabling Change: Stakeholder alignment in large-scale UX projects

N Ob o ref am ere a ins nce ide s ! Photo: flickr.com/photos/arthurjohnpicton/4383221264Enabling ChangeStakeholder alignment in large-scale UX projectsUXcamp | June 2011@freimark

Things Id like to discuss with you01 Why change management?02 How to enable change?03 How to sell change management?04 Recommended reading

Content on the Web today is often bad. ‣ Outdated ‣ Different voices (various styles, bad style, conflicting information) ‣ Hard to find: Too much "needle in haystack", metadata not maintained ‣ Inappropriate for the Web and the target audiences ‣ Irrelevant ‣ Inside-out perspective Photo: flickr.com/photos/charlesfred/253443873

It‘s all about the content. Photo: flickr.com/photos/ifranz/468219580

It‘s all about the content. Photo: flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/5144212702

High quality content should become the norm. ‣ Current across multiple levels and sections ‣ One voice (text, images, no conflicting information) ‣ Findable by structured browsing and metadata ‣ Adequately written for the Web and the target audiences ‣ Relevant for the target audiences ‣ Outside-in perspective Photo: flickr.com/photos/taboadatesta/3411678278

Projects today require efforts by multiple departments. Example: Descriptions of degree courses at a university ‣ Student Advisory Service ‣ Department of Student Affairs ‣ International Office ‣ Faculties – all of them! ‣ Faculty management ‣ General Students‘ committee ‣ Faculty board ‣ Students‘ "group representative" Foto: xxx Photo: flickr.com/photos/mnadi/32325828/

...it ain’t that easy.

People in departments rarely talk to each other. Photo: flickr.com/photos/nicholas_t/4848928856

People sometimes fight against each other. Photo: flickr.com/photos/iboy/5709372593/

People have their own agenda – greater good has low priority. Photo: flickr.com/photos/torek/536685363

People might not feel the users’ pain. Photo: flickr.com/photos/felixmontino/4188291874

People are afraid of change. Photo: flickr.com/photos/paolomargari/1992019542

What happens if we just "do our job"?

„Here are the templates. Thanks forthe money, good luck, and have anice life. Photo: flickr.com/photos/veneman/4245127205

The result? ‣ No support from within the organization – or even resistance ("Nobody asked me, but they should have") ‣ Editors dont talk to each other – or arent even aware of each other ‣ Content starts to wither the day after the launch – if it was good content at all ‣ Proliferation of bad content = useless website Photo: flickr.com/photos/charlesfred/253443873

We have to overcome such hurdles if wewant to build sustainable solutions.

Things Id like to discuss with you01 Why change management?02 How to enable change? > Mindset > Methods03 How to sell change management?04 Recommended reading

We have to overcome such hurdles...

„If you want to drain the swamp,don‘t ask the frogs. Photo: flickr.com/photos/mysza/2591183753

„ rong If you want to drain the swamp, don‘t ask the frogs. approach!w Photo: flickr.com/photos/mysza/2591183753

We have to take people seriously to earntheir trust.

Be there. Photo: flickr.com/photos/johnwardell/125588728

Be a listener. Photo: flickr.com/photos/marfis75/2939337382

Be transparent. Photo: flickr.com/photos/greenchameleon/2194707165

Be neutral. Photo: flickr.com/photos/curiousexpeditions/544119961

Changing people’s beliefs and behaviorsbegins with ourselves.

Things Id like to discuss with you01 Why change management?02 How to enable change? > Mindset > Methods03 How to sell change management?04 Recommended reading

Establish a sense of urgency. Photo: flickr.com/photos/juditk/5024772809

Invite stakeholders to participate. ‣ Do questionaires up-front ‣ Conduct stakeholder interviews to gather requirements ‣ Let them participate in workshops during the project ‣ Encourage feedback – and answer it Photo: flickr.com/photos/mintlipgloss/251326649

Start conversations between silos. ‣ Bring them together in workshops (mixed groups!) ‣ Show them the bigger picture... ‣ ...but also suggest small and specific steps ‣ Start a project within a project ‣ Establish new structures (eg. bi-weekly cross-dept. meeting of editors) Photo: flickr.com/photos/vanderlin/105314952

Keep people in the loop. ‣ Publish a project newsletter ‣ Present results to everyone interested – on a regular basis ‣ Hold Q&A sessions ‣ Embrace new stakeholders (but keep the core team small) Photo: flickr.com/photos/goetter/4559773791

We can facilitate networking betweendepartments with change managementmethods.These methods help bring people to thetable – so that they work collaboratively ona project for the same goals.

Methods – what are your experiences?Establish a sense of urgency. Invite stakeholders to participate. Start conversations between silos. Keep people in the loop. ? What‘s your opinion? 6

Things Id like to discuss with you01 Why change management?02 How to enable change?03 How to sell change management? > To our project managers > To the client04 Recommended reading

For the love of money! Photo: flickr.com/photos/lennox_mcdough/5591613420

Reputation. Photo: flickr.com/photos/sovietuk/202025681

Things Id like to discuss with you01 Why change management?02 How to enable change?03 How to sell change management? > To our project managers > To the client04 Recommended reading

Don‘t call it change management. ‣ "Project-accompanied internal communication" ‣ "Getting buy-in" ‣ "Gaining support by all people involved" ‣ "Building a sustainable solution that lasts after we‘ve left" ‣ "Employees should identify with the result" Photo: flickr.com/photos/ohmannalianne/2542717334

Emphasize the Return On Investment. ‣ "You invested so much for research, strategy, IA, IxD, visual design, frontend and backend code... ‣ ...shouldnt be sunken money ‣ ...success depends on the participation within your organization ‣ ...should invest some more to build a sustainable solution ‣ ...the earlier the better!" Photo: flickr.com/photos/pedromourapinheiro/2873024997

Fly under the radar. ‣ Stakeholder research ‣ Invite multiple departments to a kick ass kickoff workshop alistapart.com/articles/kick-ass-kickoff-meetings Photo: flickr.com/photos/thorne-enterprises/1421036090

We can put change methods to good useand sell them – by underlining their needor by sneaking them in.

Selling change management – what are your experiences?Don‘t call it change management. Emphasize the ROI. Fly under the radar. ? What‘s your opinion? 6

What are your reading recommendations?

Going the extra mile beyond classic UX work leads to sustainable solutions. ‣ Allows for a common under- standing during the start of the project (and beyond) ‣ Helps people identify with the project ‣ Facilitates networking across department borders ‣ Allows them to implement a content strategy = enables change Photo: flickr.com/photos/taboadatesta/3411678278

Start making a difference!Stefan FreimarkSenior UX ConsultantMail stefan.freimark@aperto.deTwitter @freimark slideshare.net/sfreimarkWeb www.aperto.de

John P. Kotter: Leading Change1. Establish a sense of urgency2. Form a powerful guiding coalition3. Create a vision4. Communicate the vision5. Empower others to act on the vision6. Plan for and create shortterm wins7. Consolidate improvements and produce more change8. Institutionalize new approaches 6

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Enabling Change: Stakeholder alignment in large-scale UX projects

by Stefan Freimark

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