Key Insight
This is a story about how to use User Experience when talking to stakeholders who have not been fully engaged with a project, but are crucial to its success.
On more than one occasion, I've found myself in a position where I've been hired to work on a project which has got the full commitment from major stakeholders it needs. Certainly, someone has gone so far as to bring in people to do the work, not so far as to come up with a reason to do the work which transfers well to stakeholders. Stakeholders might have been assigned to a project, but they are not engaged, and so while they might have an idea of why someone is presenting something to them, they have not been convinced of the benefits.
"Steve left, and only Steve knew how to do that" is not a "Director Level Ready" reason for a project.
In User Experience I have a valuable position, because of my exposure to all stages of the project, to create a vision of a project which tells a story to Senior Stakeholders that can shape their view of the project. We can give them the reason to believe in the project.
Finding that story animates my work. When I talk to end users, I find out insights businesses all too commonly shield themselves from. When I talk to colleagues, I find out what might be thought but not often said. Taking those ideas, they become insights which moves the work.
User Experience insights are the oil that lubricates my work, and the work of the teams I'm in. Those insights can put a customer face on the project, and focus on the return on investment. This is something which User Experience is well positioned to accomplish, and is always something I will endeavour to do.
