The document reflects on a team leader's journey from a reactive, unclear work environment to a more structured and supportive team dynamic. It emphasizes the importance of training, mentorship, and peer support in building resilience and accountability among designers. The leader's experiences highlight the need for effective communication and collaboration within a team to overcome challenges and foster growth.

1. The year my
team quit.
@glynthomas

4. I Quit

5. “I need to
chat ...“

6. “People leave managers,
not companies.”
- The devil on my shoulder

7. DO MY JOB
MY TEAM’S JOB
THE STORIES WE TELL3
1
2

8. Do My Job!
1
i

9. THAT WAS THEN
• Reactive decision making
• Starting without finishing things
• No clear purpose
• No roadmaps, plans or strategy
• No ability to push back
• No say …

11. Without knowing what my
job was - I had created
uncertainty.

13. LEARN

14. THE ACTION
• Training
• Self Awareness
• Read (heaps)
• Mentor - Great Manager
• Peer Support

15. SAFE HANDS

16. THIS IS NOW
• A spreadsheet
• Starting to standardise our practice
• Taking the ground
• Planning and resourcing
• A say.

17. The team’s job
2

18. THAT WAS THEN
• Lack of resilience
• Isolated design practices
• Wasted efforts
• Busy - not being designers
• No peer support or growth

19. To lead a design team -
well - you need a design
team.

20. What did I have?

23. For the strength of the
pack is the wolf, and the
strength of the wolf is
the pack.
- Rudyard Kipling

24. THE ACTION
• Designing together
• Codify how we work
• Pitch in
• Take the ground

25. THIS IS NOW
• Designer pairing
• Things become visual
• Work flows between designers
• Designers support other designers
• Accountability
• Feedback

26. The stories
we tell
3

28. THE OBSERVATIONS
• Problems remained
• I was frustrated
• Finger Pointing
• If only …

29. Setting up
to fail

30. THE ACTION
• Just stop …
• Get context from others
• Doubled down on catchups
• Share the right kinds of stories

31. THE RESULT
• Bridges were built
• Individuals were able to find
their own way
• Rough Patches are still rough
patches - but they get through
them

32. DO MY JOB
MY TEAM’S JOB
THE STORIES WE TELL3
1
2

33. Do I have safe hands?
Is my pack strong?
What stories do I tell?

34. THANK YOU
@glynthomas