Empowering Success: The Art of Bridging UX Leadership and Stakeholder Collaboration

In the world of UX, we often find ourselves facing a dilemma. It's a common struggle, one that can leave us feeling unappreciated and disheartened. The issue at hand is this: nobody enjoys having their work met with resistance or being deprioritized."

Stakeholder's Perspective

But let's shift our view for a moment. Consider the stakeholders, those individuals who safeguard their priorities with great passion. Their protectiveness might appear as if they don't appreciate the significance of our work. It's easy to take this personally, but that's not the most productive approach.

The Reality

You see, when mixing different issues together, it often makes it seem personal when it truly isn't. It's essential to understand that it's not about us. Stakeholders are placed in a challenging position. They bear the weight of immense pressure, much of which they didn't choose. Their priorities are often set by others, leaving them stranded in the middle, between executives and those doing the work.

The Challenge of Stakeholder

Stakeholders have no control over what's happening on either side, yet they want to be accountable for its success. Moreover, many stakeholders have never worked closely with UX professionals before. Their past experiences might have been with reactive UX teams who focused merely on “making things usable” or worse "making things pretty."

The Need for Strategic UX

Now, here's where it gets interesting. If we, as UX leaders, are working more strategically, this can be entirely new territory for them. It's a challenge to integrate this mindset into an ongoing project where the wheels are already in motion. This often leads to resistance.

Understanding Resistance

Resistance is often a reaction to perceived risk. When stakeholders push back, it's because they perceive some sort of risk, mainly the risk of not achieving their committed priorities. If UX seems to jeopardize the project, they'll naturally resist, especially if they come from a background where UX was viewed as optional.

The Power of Servant Leadership

So, how do we overcome this resistance? Enter servant leadership, a concept that wins stakeholders over. When UX leaders adopt the role of servant leaders, they focus on the success of their stakeholders. They go above and beyond to minimize risks. The question becomes, "How can I use all my available resources to help you succeed?"

The Role of UX Outcomes

And here's the pivotal point – UX outcomes define what success truly looks like. Instead of fixating on deliverables, we shift our focus to the change our deliverables will bring to the world. Whose lives will we improve, and how, if we excel at our work?

Locking-in Success

Our goal is to get stakeholders to buy into these outcomes. This provides us with a negotiating point to define our contribution to that success. The sooner we have this conversation, the better. Time grants us flexibility for risk mitigation.

Knowing When to Say 'No'

Yet, there are moments when 'no' is the appropriate response. No amount of UX-driven risk mitigation may help, and we must accept that we're in the way. It's at these moment in time that we step back, removing ourselves as a source of stress for stakeholders.

Dealing with Resistance

Resistance isn't a judgment of our value; it's often because other factors are at play. When a stakeholder resists, it's typically due to perceived risk. Our role is to help alleviate that risk through our work and, by embracing servant leadership, reduce resistance.

The Path Forward

In conclusion, understanding the challenges stakeholders face and aligning our efforts with their success is the key. By defining UX outcomes early, we establish a shared vision of success and minimize the hurdles ahead. And sometimes, saying 'no' can be the wisest choice, allowing us to focus on shaping a better future.

Source: Jared Spool . "Weekly free UX strategy talk with Jared Spool, 'Dealing With UX-Resistant Stakeholders'.