Learn as you Design & Manage the Experience
Every project is unique, because each business is unique. Context, circumstances and people change. So I tailor-make each engagement to suit the specific needs and context of the business.
Typically each engagement starts focusing on one specific request, from “Improve an app or a section of a website” to “Help us grow our design team”.
From there, the request may evolve into something larger, like “Help us integrate the eCommerce team to the rest of the company” or “We want to become omnichannel”.
In every situation, the approach has always 4 focus areas:
- Results
- Constant, hands-on knowledge transfer through mentoring and training
- Emphasis on working systematically (methodology)
- Managing the changes we make (“Undercover Change Management“)
![](http://www.xcentriclab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/xcentriclab-metod-L.png)
![](http://www.xcentriclab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FOTO_results_kanban.jpg)
1. focus on Results
Who likes to settle for Quick Wins™ when “little can be changed”?
Often we we need big changes to develop our ideas – from how we work to systems and processes. Large changes can take time, so we’re back to Quick Wins™. So I take those Quick Wins™ and make them work for us, aligning them all to a long-term vision.
I turn Quick Wins™ into short, quick experiments aligned with the vision so we can get results fast (or data to learn from and continue improving). I use good results to justify those bigger changes.
Not all of the experiments / quick wins will work, but we learn from each and everyone of them. Experiments help us draw the path forward, as long as they are all in line with a long-term vision.
![](http://www.xcentriclab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FOTO-UX-Odigeo-in-action.jpg)
2. MENTORING & TRAINING: learn by doing
A very effective method to empower a team is to learn by doing.
The on-going part-time presence of a mentor allows them to absorb new knowledge at their own rhythm, contextualize it and apply it in the reality of their day-to-day.
Think of it as a tailor-made Master course, where the mentor is there to guide you and your team.
![](http://www.xcentriclab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FOTO_lean.jpg)
3. METHODOLOGY
Inflexible methodologies fail in our ever-changing world. Not having a clear methodology is quite inefficient.
So we need a methodology, one flexible enough so it can help us face the inevitable changes and roadblocks during a project.
I favour iterative, collaborative methodologies because it allows us to move (or fail faster and recover quickly
"Undercover" Change Management
In an ideal world, every project we work on that forces changes in the way we work should have a parallel Change Management process. Because we often don’t have that luxury, I decided to weave in Change Management Best Practices into the work I do.
This allows us to manage change, instead of suffering resistance, or having everything revert back as it was as soon as we look away.
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