This month I was invited by User Interviews to be on their UX research podcast, Awkward Silences. The theme of our discussion is how designers, PMs, and researchers can wield greater influence in their organizations, through learning about the environment and the context. We talk about understanding decision-making processes (what I call “decision literacy”), translating design work into business impact, and creating the conditions where teams do their best work.

I encourage you to listen (perhaps with your product team!) and bring some of these strategies or exercises back to your day to day.

Highlights include:

11:08 Design Skills That Can't Be Replaced by AI
15:56 Decision Literacy in Organizations
21:42 Surprising Realities of Leadership Meetings
24:36 Building Influence Without Organizational Power
29:01 Storytelling via Roadmaps Exercise
35:47 What Trade Off Are You Most Uncomfortable Making

Listen to the full episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts.