1.
BE HERE NOW.
Patrick DiMichele

2.
2 Locations in
Chicago and St. Louis
100 Employees, making us the largest
independent agency in the Midwest
15 Fortune 500 brand partners
CX One of the largest Customer
Experience teams in America
165 Minutes until the WebVisions
wrap-party starts over at our place.
MANIFEST

3.
TODAY
WE’LL TALK ABOUT HOW TO BECOME A BETTER…
Observer
Practitioner
Facilitator
Manager
Leader

4.
BUT FIRST,
I’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT PIZZA.
Near Here
Near North
North
Specialty
Deep Dish

5.
BUT FIRST,
I’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT PIZZA.
Near Here - BONGIORNO’S • LA MADIA • EATALY
Near North - COALFIRE • PIZZA METRO • PIECE
North - PEQUOD’S • PIZZERIA DA NELLA • SPACCA NAPOLI
Specialty - SANTULO’S • ROOTS • DIMO’S
Deep Dish - LOU MALNATI’S

6.
O K , L E T ’ S G E T S TART E D

7.
BE HERE NOW
Yes. No.

8.
MINDFULNESS

9.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE
WORLD AROUND YOU.

10.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE
WORLD INSIDE YOU.

11.
PAY ATTENTION THEN
ACT WITH INTENTION.

12.
(Your mileage may vary.)

13.
C R E AT E S PAC E

14.
SMART PHONE ≠ ALARM CLOCK

15.
CONTROL FLOW
INBOX
Mailbox helps me process mail quickly.
Filters get messages into categories and out of my face by default.
Subscription email gets routed through Unroll.me.
MOBILE
When strangers call, nothing happens.
When I get an email, nothing happens.
When an app wants to alert me, nothing happens.
When something happens on social media, nothing happens.

16.
Wunderlist Todoist Things

17.
Index Card Calendar Box – Design Sponge

18.
B E A B E T T E R O B S E RV E R

19.
SEE OBSERVE
HEAR LISTEN
TOUCH FEEL
TASTE SAVOR
SMELL SNIFF

20.
DON’T BE AFRAID
TO BE A WEIRDO.

21.
PAY ATTENTION
Study routines and rituals.
Watch behaviors change as environments change.
Realize how usage changes as tasks change.
Note inconsistencies and gaps.
Keep a list of insights.

22.
UNTAPPED

23.
UNTAPPD MOBILE
Facilitates both social sharing and reference look-up.
Activity is likely highly task-driven.
Accessed a lot in dark, loud, crowded spaces.
Probably used one-handed more often than most apps.
Power-users are almost definitely drunk.

24.
IT’S EQUALLY IMPORTANT
TO OBSERVE YOURSELF.

25.
B E A B E T T E R P R AC T I T I O N E R

26.
PROCESS IS JUST A
MEANS TO AN END.

27.
DISCOVER
DEVELOP DEFINE
DESIGN

28.
DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE?

29.
FOCUS ON OUTCOMES.

30.
OUTCOMES
“Here’s the business benefit of that heuristic evaluation…”
“Our usability tests will uncover ways to make you money…”
“Research confirmed sending fewer mailings increased open-rates…”
“We can find a way to bring more attention to the call-to-action…”
“Coding it this way decreases your maintenance costs…”

31.
HONE YOUR PROCESS
BEHIND THE SCENES.

32.
DISCOVER
DEVELOP DEFINE
DESIGN

33.
UX
Interaction: Inputs, Behaviors, Interaction States
DEVELOP DEFINE
Interface: Design Principles, Wireframes, Prototypes
DISCOVER
DESIGN
Research: Competitive Review, Interviews, Personas
Architecture: Scenarios, Flows, Maps, Navigation

34.
AN OPEN INVITATION
TO COLLABORATION.

35.
HOW-TO GUIDE
Listen before speaking.
Pull before pushing.
Add before subtracting.
Build before tearing-down.
Don’t be an asshole.

36.
B E A B E T T E R FAC I L I TAT O R

37.
MEETINGS, MEETINGS, MEETINGS.

38.
EXPLORE DECIDE REVIEW

39.
EXPLORE
Early
Listen
Would
Genesis
Open doors
Learn ‘what’
Spot obstacles
Gain momentum
DECIDE
Mid
Speak
Could
Analysis
Close doors
Explain ‘how’
Choose battles
Build consensus
REVIEW
Late
Lead
Should
Synthesis
Lock doors
Defend ‘why’
Beat opponents
Get final approval

40.
EXPLORE
1. UNDERSTAND THE GOALS.
2. ASK QUESTIONS.
3. FRAME THE PROBLEM.
4. EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES.
5. YES, AND…

41.
1. UNDERSTAND THE GOALS
“It needs to be
easy to use.”
“This initiative
is very
important to
leadership.”
“We need to
redesign, our
current thing
sucks.”
“Wow-factor!”
“It has to look
good on a
mobile phone.”
“We want to
switch to
open-source.”

42.
1. UNDERSTAND THE GOALS
“It needs to be
X
“We need to
redesign, our
easy to use.”
current thing
sucks.”
X “This initiative
is very
“Wow-factor!”
X
important to
leadership.”
“It has to look
good on a
mobile phone.”
“We want to
switch to
open-source.”

43.
1. UNDERSTAND THE GOALS
X X
“We need to
“It needs to be
redesign, our
X
easy to use.”
current thing
sucks.”
X “This initiative
is very
X “Wow-factor!”
X
important to
leadership.”
“It has to look
good on a
mobile phone.”
“We want to
switch to
open-source.”

44.
1. UNDERSTAND THE GOALS
This project will be a huge success for our business when…
…it’s increased our customer retention rates.
…it’s moved high volume, low value transactions to the web.
This project will be a huge success for our customers when…
…it provides fresh and relevant content that is actionable.
…their satisfaction scores are 20% higher.
This project will be a huge success for our employees when…
…it’s reduced time spent processing low-value transactions.
…it’s improved customer retention through customer satisfaction.

45.
1. UNDERSTAND THE GOALS
Increase
customer
satisfaction.
Increase
customer
retention.
Move
high-volume,
low- value
tasks online.

46.
2. ASK QUESTIONS
Relentlessly.
Understand the current state and the thinking that got them there.
Find out what’s been tried before, with what degree of success.
Embrace the fact that you are likely not a subject-matter expert.

47.
3. FRAME THE PROBLEM
Right now we can’t…
Our customers complain that…
We’re losing-out to the competition because...
We need the project to help us…
It would be really great if...
We currently spend way too much time...
It shouldn’t be so hard to...

48.
3. FRAME THE PROBLEM

49.
4. EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES

50.
5. YES, AND…
“The first rule of improvisation is agree.
Always agree and say yes...
...the Rule of Agreement reminds you to
‘respect what your partner has created’ and
to start from an open-minded place.
Start with a yes; see where that takes you.”
— Tina Fey

51.
DECIDE
1. CLARIFY THE GOALS.
2. MAKE SUGGESTIONS.
3. FRAME THE SOLUTION.
4. EVALUATE OPTIONS.
5. MAYBE, IF…

52.
1. CLARIFY THE GOALS
Increase
customer
satisfaction.
Increase
customer
retention.
Move
high-volume,
low- value
tasks online.
HOW
RELEVANT CONTENT
NEW CAPABILITIES
EASY TO GET HELP
HOW
RECURRING PAYMENTS
UPSELL / CROSS-SELL
LOYALTY DISCOUNTS
HOW
NEW CAPABILITIES
RECURRING PAYMENTS
3rd-PARTY INTEGRATION

53.
2. MAKE SUGGESTIONS
Could we try a version of things that...
What if instead of that way, we try it this way...
I get what we’re going for here, but how about...
That doesn’t make sense yet...

54.
3. FRAME THE SOLUTION

55.
3. FRAME THE SOLUTION

56.
3. FRAME THE SOLUTION

57.
4. EVALUATE OPTIONS
PROS
USER-CENTERED
ACTION-ORIENTED
CLEAR AND SIMPLE
PROVIDES GUIDANCE
SCALABLE
CONS
PROMOS DOWN-PLAYED
LOTS OF CONTACT INFO

58.
5. MAYBE, IF…
Negotiate trade-offs.
Identify dependencies.
Gently remind everyone of the goals.
Be candid about scope implications.

59.
REVIEW
1. RESTATE THE GOALS.
2. PROVIDE ANSWERS.
3. FRAME THE EVOLUTION.
4. DEFEND DECISIONS.
5. NO, BUT…

60.
1. RESTATE THE GOALS
Increase
customer
satisfaction.
Increase
customer
retention.
Move
high-volume,
low- value
tasks online.
HOW
RELEVANT CONTENT
NEW CAPABILITIES
EASY TO GET HELP
HOW
RECURRING PAYMENTS
UPSELL / CROSS-SELL
LOYALTY DISCOUNTS
HOW
NEW CAPABILITIES
RECURRING PAYMENTS
3rd-PARTY INTEGRATION

61.
2. PROVIDE ANSWERS
We did it this way, not that way because...
I hear what you’re saying, but...
This is the best approach because...
That doesn’t work because...

62.
3. FRAME THE EVOLUTION

63.
4. DEFEND DECISIONS

64.
5. NO, BUT…
...we can add that idea to the product road map.
...we’re doing something similar in another part of the project.
...next time around we’ll make sure she’s included.
...if you’ve got more time and money, I’ll make it happen.

65.
EXPLORE
Understand the goals.
Ask questions.
Frame the problem.
Explore possibilities.
Yes, and...
DECIDE
Clarify the goals.
Make suggestions.
Frame the solution.
Evaluate options.
Maybe, if...
REVIEW
Restate the goals.
Provide answers.
Frame the evolution.
Defend decisions.
No, but...

66.
B E A B E T T E R M A N AG E R

67.
UNDERSTAND
THE NATURE OF ASSIGNMENTS.
YOUR TEAM MEMBER’S WORKING STYLES.
YOUR OWN DEFAULT ORIENTATIONS.
THAT YOU NEED TO PUSH AND PULL.

68.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL

69.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL
Build-out the
other months of a
calendar mockup.
We need it early
this afternoon.

70.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL
We need a team
and a timeline for
a project starting
next week. See ya’
at the kick-off.

71.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL
Identify new
offerings we can
bring to market.
Show us what you
can by mid-Q4.

72.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL
Do a competitive
review to help us
position this new
product. Our first
check-in will be
morning of 10/8.

73.
EVERYBODY HAS
A SWEET SPOT.

74.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL

75.
INCLUDING YOU.

76.
STRATEGIC
EMPOWERED CONSTRAINED
TACTICAL

77.
YOUR JOB IS TO
CREATE BALANCE.

78.
SERVE AS CONDUIT OR
COUNTERVAILING FORCE.

79.
ADAPT YOUR STYLE
AS SITUATIONS DEMAND.

80.
PUSH AND PULL
“What worked last time might not work this time.”
“Not the best solution possible, the best solution possible by Friday.”
“We need to consider what the user sees before and after this screen.”
“Good enough. Ship it.”
“Let’s take a step back and consider this more broadly.”
“We’re done debating. Everybody clear on what needs to happen?”

81.
B E A B E T T E R L E A D E R

82.
TAKE CONSCIOUS ACTION.

83.
INACTION IS AN ACTION.

84.
YOU’LL NEVER HAVE
COMPLETE INFORMATION.

85.
DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND.

86.
IT’S JUST SAND.

87.
THANK YOU.
Patrick DiMichele
www.linkedin.com/in/theparanoids/
patrick.dimichele@gmail.com