Andy Polaine
Two tricks for gaining clarity and engaging stakeholders
updated
It’s essential everyone recognises we’re criticising the work, attacking problem, not the person.
But there are language and cultural mismatches and a counterintuitive gotcha that I discuss in this video.
For more and my design leadership coaching practice, check the links below:
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
In this episode, journalist and author Lisa Bennett, Harvard Fellow, co-author of Ecoliterate, and author of the forthcoming Savor the World: Why Wonder, Not Worry, Will Save Us, talks with Andy about restoring human agency in an overwhelming world. Drawing on a career spent studying how people rise to crisis, Lisa unpacks the E.B. White line that underpins her book: the daily tension between wanting to save the world and choosing to savor it. The conversation moves through the psychology of overwhelm and the "polycrisis," why humans aren't wired to care at global scale, AI's effect on trust and authentic communication, and why savoring with real presence and attention might be a more sustainable and more effective form of care than constant fighting.
Links
Lisa
- Lisa's writing and newsletter: lisabennett.substack.com
- Lisa's website: lisabennettwrites.com
- Lisa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisabennettwriter
Andy
Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Blueksy: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
The answer is because 90% of the work in any kind of Lead to Leadership role is people work. Design leaders don’t usually have design problems. They’re people problems.
So exploring how you do relationships helps you enormously in the context of the tactical at work. You’re not getting buy-in or credibility because of your work, but because people don’t trust you or your story isn’t landing.
In my coaching I’m exploring the situation with you, but also observing and reflecting back what I’m seeing about your response to it so that we can work on that, too.
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
Our conversation ranged across the history of interaction design (Zork, MUDs, branching narratives), Josh and Veronika's "four postures" of AI systems (tools, chat, agents, co-pilots), the dangers of leaning too hard on physical metaphors, the idea of "casual intelligence" as a counter to AI maximalism, and the responsibilities designers have right now to shape how this technology gets implemented before money and Big Tech make all the decisions for us.
Listeners can use the code SENTIENTPOT for 20% off the book at at (rosenfeldmedia.com/books/sentient-design) rosenfeldmedia.com (http://rosenfeldmedia.com) from June 9th to July 9th.
Josh Clark (linkedin.com/in/joshclark) is principal of Big Medium (bigmedium.com) , a digital agency that helps complex organizations design for what’s next. Josh has over 30 years of experience in emerging technology, user experience, and design innovation. His projects include future-friendly interfaces for AI, connected devices, and websites for many of the world’s biggest companies.
Veronika Kindred (linkedin.com/in/vkind) is designer and researcher at Big Medium, where she defines and solves design problems alongside some of the world’s biggest companies. She travels internationally to lead Sentient Design workshops and speak to teams at startups and Fortune 100 companies alike. Her research has ranged from AI’s effect on user experience to mobile technology’s impact on African political engagement to the nuances of congressional climate hearings.
Show Links
Josh & Veronika
• Josh on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshclark
• Veronika on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vkind
• Sentient Design at Rosenfeld Media: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/sentient-design
• Big Medium: bigmedium.com (bigmedium.com)
Andy
• Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
• Newsletter: pln.me/nws
• Podcast: pln.me/p10
• Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
• Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
• Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social (https://andypolaine.bsky.social/)
• YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
With over two decades of experience across Financial Services, Telcos, Media, and more. He’s built and led design teams, established Centres of Excellence, and guided organisations through complex transformations that align design with commercial outcomes.
Martin went from reading our service design book (rosenfeldmedia.com/books/service-design-second-edition) hoping to solve a logistics problem (you couldn’t order lobsters on a Wednesday at Sainsbury’s) to spending six years leading design strategy at Lloyd's Banking Group.
We talk about what happens when consultants go in-house, why experienced internal voices often get heard less than external ones saying the same thing, and whether AI has the same fundamental scaling problem as the car.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro — Martin's background across financial services, telecoms and media
01:00 How Martin and Andy first met at RBS in 2015, and reading Service Design to solve a lobster logistics problem at Sainsbury's
04:30 Going in-house after consulting — why your voice gets heard less the moment you cross the threshold
07:30 The question organisations never ask: why isn't this happening spontaneously already?
14:00 What it actually takes to embed design capability in a large organisation versus leaving behind blueprints and concepts
28:00 Measuring design's contribution to business outcomes — the gap between outputs and impact
45:00 Design leadership in the AI era — what changes and what doesn't
55:00 Why organisations mistake motion for progress, and how incentive structures block transformation
01:05:50 AI has the same fundamental problem as the car — it doesn't scale cleanly, and success makes the resource problem worse not better
01:10:30 The one small thing with outsized impact: our definition of success in education
Show Links
Martin
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/designled
- Web: liminaldesignoffice.com
- Podcast beingliminal.com
Andy
- Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social (https://andypolaine.bsky.social/)
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:33 Mistake #:1 Presenting your case study like project documentation
00:58 How to tailor your story to your audience
01:53 Problem, context, outcomes
02:10 Mistake #2: Saying the same thing twice. Kill your darlings!
02:52 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
Joel brings 25 years of experience working in service design roles, leading change and building new stuff for a diverse range of organisations. We talked about his journey into Service Design, Service Design and AI, navigating AI and social media, the future of design and much more.
Note: Given the fast pace of developments in AI, I should point out that we recorded this in June 2025. I had a big backlog...
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Service Design and AI
04:50 The Journey to Service Design
10:00 Understanding Service as an Outcome
15:08 The Role of AI in Social Media Management
20:11 Challenges of Moderation on Social Media
25:32 The Evolution of Business Models
26:36 The Role of AI in Startups
29:13 Navigating AI and Content Moderation
30:20 Understanding AI Bias and Ethics
31:43 Engaging with AI in Social Media
35:11 The Future of Design and AI
40:21 Creativity in a Fast-Paced Environment
44:56 The Importance of Service in Design
Links
Joel
====
- Arwen: arwen.ai
- Joel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joelbaileyuk
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social (https://andypolaine.bsky.social/)
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
In this episode Andy Polaine speaks to design leader, Alan Colville, exploring the nuances of design leadership, the importance of embracing conflict, the dynamics of communication, and how small changes in how we communicate can lead to significant positive outcomes.
Links
====
Alan
========
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alancolville
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social (https://andypolaine.bsky.social/)
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 The Importance of Project Sunsets
00:29 Projects are hypotheses
01:40 The value of case studies
02:39 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
In this episode Andy speaks with Dr. Chui Chui Tan a specialist in culturalisation strategies tailored for international growth. She leverages cultural insights to craft winning global business strategies, guiding clients to navigate international markets successfully. She is also the author of a new book, "Research for Global Growth: Strategies And Guidance For Cross-Cultural Insights".
Links
====
Chui Chui
========
- Website: https://beyo.global
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chuichuitan
- Book: https://beyo.global/books
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social (https://andypolaine.bsky.social/)
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
In this episode Andy speaks to Carissa Carter, a designer, geoscientist, and the academic director at the Stanford d.school (http://d.school) . She is the author of The Secret Language of Maps: How to Tell Visual Stories with Data, and the co-author of Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future. Carissa teaches design courses on emerging technologies, climate change, and data visualization. Her work on designing with machine learning and blockchain has earned multiple design awards.
Links
Carissa
===
- Assembling Tomorrow book site: https://dschool.stanford.edu/book-collections/assembling-tomorrow
- Carissa Carter on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carissalcarter
- Scott Doorley on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scottdoorley
- Armando Veve online: levineleavitt.com/artist/armando-veve
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
#work #stress #coaching #leadership #design
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:29 Borrowing from therapy
01:33 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
Resolve work conflicts with these questions: youtu.be/nyyM7Y3Ovek
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:03 Perfectionism
00:01:07 Learned Helplessness
00:01:59 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
Resolve work conflicts with these questions: youtu.be/nyyM7Y3Ovek
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andypolaine.bsky.social
This episode's guest is Francesca Cortesi, a passionate product leader with over a decade of experience in scaling digital products that users love and that drive sustainable growth. She has worked with Europe’s fastest-growing companies, from startups to IPOs, delivering tangible results. Her most recent role was as Chief Product Officer at Sweden's leading property platform, Hemnet, and has just started her own consultancy.
LINKS
====
Francesca
====
- Francesca's Website: francescacortesi.com
- Francesa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/francesca-cortesi
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Bluesky: https://andypolaine.bsky.social
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:19 Emotions at work
01:00 What do you really want to say?
01:54 Try it!
02:21 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
Resolve work conflicts with these questions: youtu.be/nyyM7Y3Ovek
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:27 Politics
01:15 Diplomacy
01:40 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
Resolve work conflicts with these questions: youtu.be/nyyM7Y3Ovek
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
My guest in this episode is my friend Meltem Naz Kaso, a Barcelona-based UX Career Coach with a background in UX Research. Her last full-time position was at Glovo, where she served as a UX Research Manager and Staff UX Researcher.
She works with Senior UX professionals to unblock their careers by boosting their leadership and communication skills.
LINKS
=====
Mel
====
- Career With Mel: careerwithmel.com
- Mel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meltemnaz
- Leadership Atelier, BCN: leadershipateliers.com/facilitators/meltem-naz-kaso-coskun
- World Usability Congress: worldusabilitycongress.com/agenda-2025
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
My guest in this episode is my friend Meltem Naz Kaso, a Barcelona-based UX Career Coach with a background in UX Research. Her last full-time position was at Glovo, where she served as a UX Research Manager and Staff UX Researcher.
She works with Senior UX professionals to unblock their careers by boosting their leadership and communication skills.
LINKS
=====
Mel
====
- Career With Mel: careerwithmel.com
- Mel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meltemnaz
- Mel's Newsletter and Coaching Services: melbarcelona.substack.com/
- Leadership Atelier, BCN: leadershipateliers.com/facilitators/meltem-naz-kaso-coskun
- World Usability Congress: worldusabilitycongress.com/agenda-2025
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
My guest in this episode is Lisa D. Dance, an experienced UX Researcher whose 10+ years of work has spans UX Research & Strategy to Interactive Prototyping & Usability Testing. She has created award-winning work for enterprise organizations and also helped small to mid-sized businesses improve their websites and apps so they do not frustrate or harm customers.
LINKS
=====
Lisa
====
- Lisa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ldance
- ServiceEase: serviceease.net
- Today Is the Perfect Day book site: todayistheperfectday.com
- Newsletter: Tell a Friend tinyurl.com/TellaFriendTuesdaySignUp
Andy
====
- Website: polaine.com
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
My guest in this episode is Lisa D. Dance, an experienced UX Researcher whose 10+ years of work has spans UX Research & Strategy to Interactive Prototyping & Usability Testing. She has created award-winning work for enterprise organizations and also helped small to mid-sized businesses improve their websites and apps so they do not frustrate or harm customers.
LINKS
Lisa
- Lisa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ldance
- ServiceEase: serviceease.net
- Today Is the Perfect Day book site: todayistheperfectday.com
- Newsletter: Tell a Friend tinyurl.com/TellaFriendTuesdaySignUp (http://tinyurl.com/TellaFriendTuesdaySignUp)
Andy
- Website: polaine.com
- Newsletter: pln.me/nws
- Podcast: pln.me/p10
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Courses: courses.polaine.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
My guests in this episode are Johan Blomkvist and Stefan Holmlid who, along with Simon Clatworthy, wrote the book The Materials of Service Design, which discusses materials (broadly framed) as a means to explore what service design is and could be.
LINKS
==Guests==
The Materials of Service Design: e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/the-materials-of-service-design-9781802203295.html
Stefan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stefan-holmlid-b402683
Stefan on ResearchGate: researchgate.net/profile/Stefan-Holmlid
Johan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/blomkvist
Johan on ResearchGate: researchgate.net/profile/Johan-Blomkvist
== Andy ==
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
We often get into situations when we feel unheard or want to assert our opinion, especially when managing sideways to peers or upwards to folks more senior. This can lead to a kind of power struggle head on clash of opinion against opinion. The counter intuitive approach to moving past this is not to tell, but to ask questions.
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:09 Dealing with opinion clash
00:34 On what basis are we building this?
01:35 Intent
02:14 Governance
03:08 The questions become part of the process
03:42 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Two tricks for gaining clarity and engaging stakeholders: youtu.be/LppYcvsmAk8
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:11 Not asking permission
01:39 Dealing with blocking stakeholders
02:12 It is actually your job
03:20 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Learning to say no at work: youtu.be/LiXTHO5NQQ0
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
This small reframe can shift your relationship to unreasonable asks at work, how you approach interviews, avoid burnout, and shape what you want to do with your career and in life.
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:12 Your time is a non-renewable resource
01:19 Our lives are just blips in history
02:38 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Learning to say no at work: youtu.be/LiXTHO5NQQ0
- Defensive calendaring and taking control of your time: youtu.be/ai-OSEgcqxs
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
The topic of this week's Coaching Reflections video is learning to ask for what you want in direct language without being rude. It is definitely something you can practice and it also builds your confidence.
What are your tips for being candid without being abrasive?
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:19 Hedging Language
00:39 People Pleasing
01:23 Know Your Filler Words
01:43 Practice asking for what you want
03:10 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Learning to say no at work: youtu.be/LiXTHO5NQQ0
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
I like to think of this as the four seasons of design (and life). In this video, while walking through my own metaphor, I talk about what that looks like and how you might apply it to your work and life.
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon the common themes and questions that come up in the week. You'll find more on the playlist here: youtube.com/watch?v=L43ntWlDPQE&list=PLvLJHmYS4OnUEN32COXIIhJD8n59RFh94
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:26 The Four Seasons of Design
03:35 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- The Four Seasons of Design is part of this presentation: polaine.com/2019/10/design-for-the-long-term
- Servant Leadership or Martyrdom Burnout? youtu.be/Wsj7RwSByNc
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
My guest in this episode is Marzia Aricò, an independent consultant for organisations seeking to integrate design strategically, and works as a design leadership coach for individuals aiming to advance in their design careers.
We talked about her journey to where she is now, service design and organisational change, the importance of diversity within organisations and how her guests on Design Voices Elevated have navigated their own journeys. And we talk about her new book, The Design Leadership Chronicles.
== TIMESTAMPS ==
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:48 Marzia’s Background
00:06:14 Service Design and Organisational Change
00:14:03 Fear Anxiety
00:15:19 Design Leadership Chronicles
00:18:22 Coaching and therapy
00:21:53 Design Voices Elevated
00:26:57 Self Love Intentionality
00:35:37 Rethinking your future
00:42:25 One Small Thing
00:45:07 Outro
== SHOW LINKS ==
== Marzia ==
Marzia’s personal site: https://marzia.studio
Marzia on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marziaarico
Design Mavericks: designmavericks.substack.com
Design Voices Elevated podcast: designmavericks.substack.com/podcast
Design Voices Elevated on YouTube: youtube.com/@marziastudio
The Design Leadership Chronicles book: bispublishers.com/design-leadership-chronicles.html
== Andy ==
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
My guest in this episode is Marzia Aricò (https://marzia.studio/) , an independent consultant for organisations seeking to integrate design strategically, and works as a design leadership coach for individuals aiming to advance in their design careers.
We talked about her journey to where she is now, service design and organisational change, the importance of diversity within organisations and how her guests on Design Voices Elevated have navigated their own journeys. And we talk about her new book, The Design Leadership Chronicles.
== Show Links ==
== Marzia ==
• Marzia’s personal site: https://marzia.studio (https://marzia.studio/)
• Marzia on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marziaarico
• Design Mavericks: designmavericks.substack.com (designmavericks.substack.com)
• Design Voices Elevated podcast: designmavericks.substack.com/podcast
• Design Voices Elevated on YouTube: youtube.com/@marziastudio
• The Design Leadership Chronicles book: bispublishers.com/design-leadership-chronicles.html
== Andy ==
• Website: polaine.com (polaine.com)
• Newsletter: pln.me/nws
• Podcast: pln.me/p10
• Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
• Courses: courses.polaine.com (courses.polaine.com)
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
• Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
• YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon the common themes and questions that come up in the week.
This week I share some thoughts about design taking a role as wise guide rather than being the hero of the story (even though our egos might like the idea of the latter).
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:11 What story are you in?
00:40 The Hero's Journey
00:57 The Wise Guide
01:34 Design as the Guide, not the Hero
02:47 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Servant Leadership or Martyrdom Burnout? youtu.be/Wsj7RwSByNc
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
I spend my weeks coaching design leaders and in this Coaching Reflections video, I talk about impact on a personal level.
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:20 The Ripple Effect
02:15 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- The People Work Is The Work: youtu.be/NnHxdWFS5k0?si=Jkw8WxZ-dc9x36WS
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
I have very few coaching sessions about the actual design work. It's all about people.
In this week's coaching reflections video I invite you to consider that all that people and relationship stuff that seems to "get in the way" of you doing your work is actually the work, especially as you move into management and leadership. Considering it this way can help alleviate the sense of frustration and, instead, replace it with curiosity.
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:21 - Companies are ephemeral
00:00:55 - The work is the people
00:02:03 - Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Managing Up and Fear & Anxiety: studio.youtube.com/video/cyuKiGhc0go/edit
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Trouble saying no
00:36 The no reframe
01:46 Completing the feedback loop
02:24 Saying no is being helpful
02:45 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
== TIMESTAMPS ==
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:20 - Julian's journey to here
00:06:59 - Disruption
00:08:34 - Making the film many times over
00:16:18 - Actors and trust
00:22:38 - The rise of development desks
00:28:57 - Changes in the age of digital shooting
00:32:32 - Writing slowly
00:36:04 - Outlines, PKMs, and just writing
00:50:28 - AI and writing
00:53:51 - One small thing
00:56:33 - Outro
== SHOW LINKS ==
== JULIAN ==
- Development Hell: developmenthell.substack.com
- Julian on IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm0801065
- Pleasant Green: pleasantgreen.co.uk
- The Lovecraft Investigations: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06spb8w
- Cartoon Gravity cartoongravity.com
- The Virtual Production of The Mandalorian Season One: youtube.com/watch?v=gUnxzVOs3rk
== ANDY ==
* Website: polaine.com
* Newsletter: pln.me/nws
* Podcast: pln.me/p10
* Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
* Courses: courses.polaine.com
* LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
* Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
* YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
Andy's guest in this episode is Julian Simpson, a London-based writer and director who has worked in film, TV and audio for the past 25 years. He made his directorial debut annoyingly young in his mid-20s with The Criminal and more recently worked on Spooks, New Tricks, Doctor Who and more. He created the Lovecraft Investigations, the Aldrich Kemp audio series and the Pleasant Green Universe. He runs a writer-led company called Storypunk and writes an excellent newsletter about the screenwriting life called, Development Hell.
== SHOW LINKS ==
== JULIAN ==
- Development Hell: developmenthell.substack.com
- Julian on IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm0801065
- Pleasant Green: pleasantgreen.co.uk
- The Lovecraft Investigations: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06spb8w
- Cartoon Gravity cartoongravity.com
- The Virtual Production of The Mandalorian Season One: youtube.com/watch?v=gUnxzVOs3rk
== ANDY ==
* Website: https://www.polaine.com
* Newsletter: pln.me/nws
* Podcast: pln.me/p10
* Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
* Courses: https://courses.polaine.com
* LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine/
* Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
* YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:17 Parents
01:32 The stepmother moment
02:45 Journal it
03:30 Companies are not families
04:08 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
⏱️⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:36 Personal Kanban Intro
00:47 Getting into the habit
01:01 Bandwitdh
02:10 Include personal tasks
03:00 Stop stressing your brain
03:25 Adding an item
04:02 The backlog
04:09 Always start with the kanban
04:24 The waiting column
04:52 Don't start anything until a doing slot is free
05:11 Enjoy the done moment
06:02 Extra optional columns
06:33 Keep it simple
07:31 Outro
👇👇 LINKS 👇👇
- Defensive calendaring: youtu.be/ai-OSEgcqxs?si=Mr7_aUF-en-TVYCT
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
==TIMESTAMPS==
00:00 Intro
00:27 OKR-ish format
00:56 Start at the end
01:30 Example
01:53 The Clark Rule
03:08 Outro
👇🏻👇🏻LINKS👇🏻👇🏻
- Dan Ward's book, F.I.R.E: http://www.thedanward.com/fire (or support me with the affiliate link here amzn.to/4cWeSsx)
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week. And this week I want to talk about combatting jargon.
==TIMESTAMPS==
00:00 Intro
00:29 Jargon
01:15 If you don't understand, ask
01:34 A simple trick for cutting through jargon
02:07 Do everyone a favour
02:24 It's an opportunity to align
02:59 Outro
👇🏻👇🏻LINKS👇🏻👇🏻
- Two ticks for gaining clarity and engaging stakeholders: youtu.be/LppYcvsmAk8
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week.
== TIMESTAMPS ==
00:00 Intro
00:13 The work never speaks for itself
01:26 Give your boss the mythology
02:25 Use video
03:26 Help me to help you
03:35 Storytelling course
03:45 Outro
👇🏻👇🏻LINKS👇🏻👇🏻
- sdn-academy.org/service-design-masterclasses-sep-2024
- courses.polaine.com/storytelling-presenting-pitching
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week.
== TIMESTAMPS ==
00:00 Intro
00:37 Caveats
01:45 Types of acting out behaviours
02:16 Your physical response
02:48 Fight, Flight, Freeze & Fawn
03:02 Fight
03:19 Flight
03:44 Freeze
04:12 Fawn
04:36 Questions to consider
05:38 Fear and anxiety
06:22 Resetting the conversation
08:03 What do you really want to say?
08:25 Vulnerability
09:09 You can always quit
==LINKS==
- Servant Leadership vs Burnout Martyrdom - youtu.be/Wsj7RwSByNc
- Managing Upwards, Fear & Anxiety and Skydiving – youtu.be/cyuKiGhc0go
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week.
== TIMESTAMPS ==
00:00 Intro
00:16 The downsides of servant leadership
01:52 Compressors and noise gates
04:13 Fill your cup first
04:46 Outro
==LINKS==
- Managing Upwards and Skydiving – youtu.be/cyuKiGhc0go
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
- John Amaechi's post on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/posts/amaechi_one-of-the-most-generous-things-you-can-do-activity-7204754032140107776-6zIh
And she uses all those amazing skills as CEO of Planette, a company specialising in AI-accelerated environmental forecasts to help inform decision making.
Power of Ten is a show about design operating at all levels of zoom, from thoughtful detail to changes in organisation, society and the world, hosted by design leadership coach, Andy Polaine.
== TIMESTAMPS ==
00:00 Intro
01:16 Hansi's Background
05:04 Crochet
08:19 Planette
25:36 How climate scientists run models
33:26 One small thing question
37:20 Outro
== LINKS==
== HANSI ==
- Planette: planette.ai/forecasts
- Hansi on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hansi-singh-phd
== ANDY ==
Website: polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
Courses: courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine
Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
My guest in this episode comes from a very different field to design. Dr Hansi Singh is a former Professor of physical climate science, University of Victoria. A US Department of Energy Office of Science fellow and awardee. Specialist in Earth system modeling and high performance computing. Working group co-chair of the Community Earth System Model, funded by NSF.
And she uses all those amazing skills as CEO of Planette, a company specialising in AI-accelerated environmental forecasts to help inform decision making.
== LINKS==
== HANSI ==
- Planette: planette.ai/forecasts
- Hansi on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hansi-singh-phd
== ANDY ==
Website: https://www.polaine.com
Newsletter: pln.me/nws
Podcast: pln.me/p10
Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
Courses: https://courses.polaine.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apolaine/
Mastodon: https://pkm.social/@apolaine
YouTube: youtube.com/@apolaine
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week.
== Timestamps ==
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Presence
01:05 On Stage
01:43 Personas - David Byrne
02:16 Personas - David Bowie
02:50 Personas - Beyoncé
03:09 Wear a costume
04:23 Don't lose yourself
05:16 Outro
==LINKS==
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
==CONTENT LINKS==
- Beyoncé on Sasha Fierce: reuters.com/article/us-beyonce-idUSTRE49M08420081023
- David Byrne's big suit: collider.com/stop-making-sense-suit-david-byrne
- David Byrne's neurodivergence: lwlies.com/articles/david-byrne-and-the-autistic-euphoria-of-stop-making-sense
- Steve Ballmer: youtube.com/watch?v=hMLcKtVwF-A
- Stop Making Sense: youtube.com/watch?v=Rauu_MNZXgo
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week.
==TIMESTAMPS==
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Title vs Activities
00:55 Consider an Experience Portfolio
02:03 Using the Gaps to Qualify Opportunities
04:05 Outro
==LINKS==
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Online Course: courses.polaine.com
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
Every week I spend my days coaching design leaders and in these videos, I reflect upon that the common themes and questions that came up in the week.
== Timestamps ==
00:00 Introduction
00:22 The Magic Circle
02:05 Feedback Structures - Rose, Thorn, Bud
02:41 Feedback Structures - Stars & Wishes
03:18 Don't bring finished work
04:15 No conversation without an artefact
05:27 Ask about intent
06:27 The danger of politeness
==LINKS==
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact
My name is Andy Polaine and every week I spend my days coaching design leaders. And in these videos, I reflect upon the common themes and questions that come up in the week.
==TIMESTAMPS==
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Thinking Types
00:44 Introverted Thinkers
03:29 Extroverted Thinkers
05:05 Knowing your type and those you interact with
06:22 Outro
==LINKS==
- Design Leadership Coaching: polaine.com/coaching
- Andy’s Workshop Facilitation course: courses.polaine.com/workshop-facilitation
- Andy's website - polaine.com
- Subscribe to Power of Ten podcast - pln.me/p10
- Subscribe to Andy’s newsletter Doctor’s Note - pln.me/nws
- Andy's YouTube channel - youtube.com/@apolaine
- Andy's online courses - courses.polaine.com
- Andy on Mastodon - https://pkm.social/@apolaine
- Andy on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/apolaine
- Suggestions? Feedback? Get in touch! - polaine.com/contact


