This article is worth a read as-is. But once you’ve done that, consider that our users are also suffering a form of the paper cut tax since they need to (and due to the tax are told to) see their CSMs about every little thing they want to change on the platform. Poor usability is a brake on their productivity and, in turn, a brake on their esteem for our company.

The story I am told regularly is that usability in existing interfaces hasn’t been addressed because it is hard to relate to ROI. That’s true. That also does not make it less important. As we do with other types of issues, I think we should devote a percentage of our collective effort to chipping away at the large experience debt we have in the platform.

A small but potentially high-signal example: yesterday a few UXers including me attended “Mastering the Basics,” a webinar meant to introduce new customers to a handful of typical operations on the platform. It was lengthy and dense, intelligibility issues were apparent (nay, obvious) at every turn, and two common refrains punctuated the talk: “see your CSM for help with this” and “remember, ‘campaign’ has nothing to do with your actual marketing campaign but refers to call treatment” (paraphrased). The latter was mentioned seven times in a short period; clearly it is a response to a problem.

I see “see your CSM for help with this” as an admission; “we know there’s a problem.” This is a sensible thing to say in our current state, and a bad look. “I’m sorry it is broken” is said. “We’re working on it” is not. “Remember, ‘campaigns’ has nothing to do with your actual marketing campaign but refers to call treatment” is also an unwitting admission: “this system wasn’t made for you and it is your problem to remember the odd words it uses.”

What would it take to, say, change “campaigns” to “call treatments?” Would the customers that actually use the term “campaigns” in this way be put out by such a change? Have we asked? Just a thought.

Incoming employees recognize the problem. When I sought feedback for M— recently, D— mentioned “…for the UX team a great emphasis can be made on owning the UX of the platform not just for the new initiatives but for the existing features.” We’d love to, and to do so we need your help and participation.

• Quarterly coaching was straightforward and is nearly done. Only one person has not yet submitted their self-eval, and they have a good excuse.
• UX is on the critical path of a key project, but not as badly as suspected, and solid progress is being made.
• We can chalk some recent process difficulties up to leadership issues, not crew issues. This is fab, because responsibility is squarely placed.
• One new mentee relationship and one old one have reminded me of good things to write about; watch this space.

Merlin Mann is fond of saying “you don’t have to be nice, but you should be kind.” In this statement “nice” refers to being agreeable, and “kind” to being friendly. These are not the same.

Men who prey on women depend on a woman’s social conditioning to be nice, to be agreeable, AND to be kind, to be friendly, and in doing so put their target’s desire for self-protection in conflict with their desire, often unconscious, to satisfy that conditioning. This is an extreme example but it illustrates the problem well; nice all-too-often becomes self-negation.

There’s plenty of opportunity for self-negation in a business context; a classic example is making a request of a peer, and when that request is not fulfilled, not following up out of fear that you will be disliked.

In business, we are interdependent. We need things of others: of our superiors, of our subordinates, and of our peers. Without role power in play it is especially easy for our conditioning to be “nice” to trip up our interoperation with our peers. Not following up on an unmet expectation trains your peers that your requests don’t matter. In effect you train others to ignore your needs if you do not consistently assert them. That’s no way to be effective in your role. What’s worse, it doesn’t help your likability one whit.

So, start with a well-formed request: this is what I need, this is when I need it, this is why I need it. Thank the person for meeting that request. Follow up right away if it is unmet and negotiate a new deadline. Give the person context. Escalate as needed.

(You can skimp on the well-formed-ness of your requests once you’ve established trust that your wishes will regularly be met by this peer, in a timely manner, and that they will raise objections quickly and in good faith. Not before.)

Your kindness appears in these interactions when you do not interpret your peer’s noncompliance as a personal attack. Your kindness is visible when every interaction, though your need has not been met, is pleasant and factual. Your kindness is made clear when you first escalate to your peer, then only if necessary escalate to a superior. Your kindness is exemplified when that escalation focuses on the unmet need first, and not the peer or your disappointment.

You don’t have to be nice, but you should be kind. This means taking a charitable view of your peer’s motivations and behavior, but nonetheless standing up for what you need, when, and why, and not letting things slide. You deserve to be effective in your job. And if you are kind, you are likely to be well-liked. Nice is not necessary.

• My brother and his family visited the state. The drive to see them all and spend the night was mercifully easy, and a great time was had by all.
• My presentation went well, senior leaders are recommending the recording of it to their people. The notion that quality hasn’t been high enough and there’s a central idea behind raising it is sinking in.
• Quarterly coaching is finally in progress, and I’m ready for Monday morning. Not yet ready for Monday afternoon, though.
• Today’s adult skill: How to Clean Dishwasher Filter and Spray Arms

• It’s amazing what even one day away, far from the home and the projects and the email, can do. We had planned a two-day trip but the first night fell through. No matter – a night and a day exploring northern Oregon and the coast is time well-spent.
• I’m ready for my presentation! Or as ready as I’m likely to be. I have plenty of time to rehearse and do a little polishing. Accept the pressure to perform as a sign that you’re excited and should prepare, then prepare. It took me a little longer than usual to get to this point, this time, but I’m here now.
• Just when I’m worried I’m not accomplishing enough my manager points out that he’s happy to see the progress I’m making. Phew.