Moving Up the Ladder: Career Success Lies Beyond Design Craftsmanship
I’m on a path to level up my career.
That path includes this nebulous leadership ladder that has many seemingly high rungs.
But over the years observing executives, shadowing seniors, and learning from my mentors, I’ve banked some insights that have helped me.
Two years ago, it seemed that no matter how high the quality of my outputs were, how well I worked on a project, or how happy the client was, I just couldn’t see myself rise the ranks. I felt stuck.
I’ve been brought up by my Chinese immigrant family with the mentality that if you work hard and keep your head down, you’ll succeed.
But what I realize is that my parents have a mentality that applies to their generation, and that maintaining job security or working as an obedient factory employee isn’t part of my Millenial genes. It’s hard to break that mindset if it’s been instilled in me since I was born.
My parents didn’t have the luxury to be outspoken, go for their dreams, or be picky about their career…or picky about anything. They were busy trying to feed their families and survive their daunting move to Canada.
But I don’t want to work hard. I want to work smart. I don’t want to be a cog, I want to inspire people.
The older generation mindset that was celebrated and accepted in my whole family all these years has actually stunted my growth in my generation of entrepreneurs and self-starters.
I’ve had to learn on my own and from my peers that being successful in a career is not solely dependent on craftsmanship or project success.
It is multi-dimensional, involves a lot of soft skills development, and borders areas like optics and perception, visibility, relationships, teamwork, and attitude.
I’ve had to consider the questions below to grow – and not only as a designer with technical skills, but to grow as a leader.
Optics & Perception: How are you seen?
How do your team members view you? How do you come off to the rest of the organization? To the community? Are you involved in meetups, other organizations, initiatives, etc?
How do you communicate to individual team members? How do you work with them?
Be hyper aware of your in-person and digital image. Think about how different types of people perceive you. Adapt to their values and communication style.
Facilitating a guest panel talk at the 2019 Toronto DesignX Leadership Summit
Visibility: Are people aware of your achievements?
Is your work visible to your team? To your manager? To the organization? To your industry?
People only know what they see and hear. Get your work and contributions seen in any way you can – internally and in your industry.
My badass team of women (and man) who are killing it in the UX and tech space from my time at BrainStation Vancouver.
Relationships: Who will advocate for you?
Who do you have a close connection with? Are you seeking relationships with the right people to help you grow?
Build good relationships (including VPs, Managers, or anyone outside of your department) with those who have the right tools, resources, and position to advocate for you. You will need it later on. Trust me.
Enjoying the sunshine as a team during a company boat cruise.
Teamwork: Are you consistently a team player?
Do you inspire others? Do you support them outside of your primary duties? Are you seen as a proactive team player? Are you willing to learn from your team?
This also ties in to those who will advocate for you and how you’re perceived. Give them a reason to support you by supporting them. Go to team outings to build that trust and camaraderie outside of work.
Attitude: Are you approachable?
How do you take feedback? Give feedback?
How do you handle “bad days”? Does your attitude or disposition regularly affect your team or others around you?
I have a pretty good intuition to how other’s are feeling. I can sense it, which means others probably can sense mine too. I always have to remember to be empathetic to how others are feeling and be kind to myself.
Humans are not perfect. We’ve all had some missteps, but I’ve learned I need to consistently keep all these learnings in check – especially if I want to move up the ladder.
It’s all about being strategic, making meaningful connections, and supporting others in your organization and in your department. What I’ve learned over these 2 years has helped me in my performance reviews and my growth trajectory, and I hope it helps you too.