UX coaching – What is the benefit of it and when it is useful
How do you bring UX to the software team? How do I convince my management of user research? What measures support collaboration between UX Design and other departments? To address questions like these, it often helps to exchange ideas with other UX designers. But what if they don't exist and there is no mentor available in your own company? We will show when and why individual UX coaching can be the right step in your UX career.
Professional development in UX design
We never stop learning, and professional development is also an important topic for UX professionals. For 81 % of UX professionals, everyday exchange with colleagues is the most important form of knowledge expansion. Personal exchange is the top priority for many UX professionals when it comes to further development and professional knowledge building. This is the result of the industry report* for 2021 from the German UPA (Professional Association of German Usability and User Experience Professionals).
But what if no professional colleagues are available for an exchange or as mentors? Many UX professionals work in small teams or are the only person in the company responsible for UX. Even if one's own UX role changes – for example because UX professionals move into management or a leadership role – an exchange with colleagues is not always possible. In such situations, structured and goal-oriented coaching can support you. Specifically geared to your individual challenges, it helps you with your personal and professional development.
What is coaching?
In the professional environment, coaching is also often titled business or career coaching. Business coaching refers to the goal- and solution-oriented consulting of specialists or executives (coachees) by an experienced coach. The focus is on the goals agreed upon together with the coachee. They can include professional development and building leadership skills. Together, coach and coachee can also work on changing careers or optimizing ways of communicating and working.
When is UX coaching useful?
Fortunately, there are now many professional development opportunities for UX professionals. In the German UPA industry report, participants indicated that, in addition to collegial exchanges, they also use subject-specific websites, blogs, and newsletters (66%) for their own continuing education and attend subject-specific conferences (42%). For 33%, technical books are among the top 3 continuing education activities, for 38% specific continuing education courses and additional qualifications. However, there are always situations in everyday work where none of the above activities provides the appropriate solution. UX coaching can help you with the following challenges, for example:
UX Coaching helps ...
- If you are the only UX designer responsible for user experience for your company, and you would like to receive professional feedback.
- If you will be taking on leadership roles in the future, and you want to grow strategically into that role.
- If you are already a UX leader and want to build your leadership skills.
- If you already have a high level as a UX professional, there are no mentors with the same or more experience in your company, and you need new impulses for your career.
- If your further development is stagnating, and you are not making any progress professionally because you lack a sparring partner for individual specialist questions.
- If you lack focus and clarity in your area of responsibility and would like an outside expert perspective.
- If you need individual advice specific to your UX role, job description, industry and related challenges.
- If you want to recognize your strengths & values and make better use of them.
- If you need a mentor with a lot of experience in UX decisions, possibly accompanying transformation and restructuring in your company.
- For the empowerment of your UX role: The topic of UX is to be repositioned in your company, and you intend to move away from the service image and instead develop a strong position as key driver.
How does ux coaching work?
In coaching, an experienced coach provides support in structured discussions to implement defined career goals. Most often, coaching programs are based on the following approach:
- Detailed kickoff meeting
- Individual target agreement for the duration of the coaching program
- Structured coaching conversations in one-on-one sessions
- Confidentiality of the contents of the conversation
- Final discussion at the end of the coaching program
- Continuous support, advice and feedback from an experienced coach
Especially in UX coaching, you should make sure that your coach has appropriate experience in your task focus (research, concept, design, etc.). In addition, your coach should be familiar with your industry and product environment. This is because the challenges involved in developing consumer products differ significantly from product development in medical technology.
What are the benefits of ux coaching?
- You develop personally and professionally.
- You set clear priorities in your comprehensive area of responsibility.
- You will receive customized argumentation aids to raise awareness for UX within the company.
- You make sound UX and management decisions.
- You efficiently develop your UX role in the company.
- You strategically align UX so that it is in line with your business goals.
- You improve the collaboration of UX design with other disciplines & stakeholders.
- You use UX in a targeted manner to successfully support the transformation process of your company.
Ready to get started?
UX Coaching pays off, not only for you, but also for your company. With their many years of experience, our UID experts are at your side as coaches. They have been advising companies on UX design for more than ten years. There is probably no question around UX for which they have not already found a solution. They use this wide range of experience and methods to coach you through your individual challenges. Would you like to learn more? Contact us!
The author
Silja Donadel
Whether content or offer creation – Silja networks marketing and sales at UID. The literature and linguistics expert is always on the lookout for exciting topics from the UX world that will inspire our customers.
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