Orbit that Hairball*

One of the most valuable things an Experience Design leader can do is stay close to the core of the business without getting swallowed by it. You need to understand the mission, respect the values, and know how decisions really get made. But full assimilation is where curiosity goes to die.

Our job isn’t to protect the status quo. It’s to help the business evolve as customers evolve. That means staying connected enough to influence outcomes, while keeping enough distance to question what’s no longer working.

If you have not read Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon Mackenzie you are missing a gem (notably if you work in the creative space). As an organization grows from one hair to two… over time each hair that’s added makes it bigger and bigger over time. Orbiting the Giant Hairball is knowing how to stay close to the core of a company without getting stuck inside its habits.

*Another principle that I fully credit to a Gordon, a leader I would have loved to work for. Just read the book. It’s literally the only business book that I have ever read that I describe as “whimsical in its genius” :)