Week 31-32: Uncomfortable side of growth
Highlights of these two weeks
Got the second vaccine for you-know-what! 💉
Visited this gorgeous mind-blowing inspiring art gallery in Vlissingen (Zeeland) where there are around 10 panorama paintings. https://panoramawalcheren.nl/ 🎨
5 weeks of writing a few pages every morning! ✍🏽
What did I particularly enjoy these two weeks?
The highlights of course! I am also working with my colleague (a UX researcher) to discuss the growth of our disciplines in our business unit. Service Design has such a broad scope and so does UX research. Our business leader has also given us the freedom to explore these and find areas where we can deliver the most impact based on our strengths. However, this means moving beyond the conventional definitions (and expectations) of our disciplines, finding the space to work together, and balancing time (which sadly is a finite resource). This process is uncomfortable but rewarding. I sense a lot of growth in how we are handling the discussions and I foresee this shaping my goals for the next year. One such outcome of this process has been to acknowledge that I thrive when I am involved in different initiatives where I can sprinkle some stardust, set things in motion and move on. My peers see this as a strength that I bring to the business unit. The next step for me is to accept my vision and define some success indicators (so that I don’t continue to feel like I don’t bring value).
Panorama paintings of Middelburg and Veere. I saw the cafe which I visited last year in this painting.
Panorama painting of Walcheren which I visited the next day in real life.
What did I do differently?
Continuing to show my vulnerability in different spaces at work and outside. It’s a liberating feeling to be able to share my insecurities in a safe space. One such space is our monthly design team retros in our unit. We have a rolling host for these retros which gives everyone the space to host it in their style. One observation is the adherence to time. While some of us prefer to stick to the agenda, others prefer to let the discussions shape the time rather than time shaping the discussions. ⏳
As a facilitator, I enjoy being in these retros as a participant while observing these different dynamics and what they can bring. Again, it gets uncomfortable when things don’t go as I “expect”, however, sitting with that feeling often helps me see a different outcome.
What am I summarising at the moment?
I am connecting the dots between past research, different documents and the existing product we have. The goal is to identify what we can improve, what are the gaps where we can innovate, and what do we not know enough about. It’s time-consuming, needs me to understand how different people have structured their documents, wade through a lot of words to summarise information in a meaningful way. Given that most of my work happens while actively collaborating, it’s a joy to work by myself and make sense of this in my style.
Food for thought
Observe those moments when you feel uncomfortable (whenever possible). Identifying what is making you feel uncomfortable offers a new perspective and some clarity on what your stance is.
Feeling grateful to have the space to introspect and experience the discomfort of growth.
