Jenn Kuca’s Post

I'm going to be talking about leadership mindsets a lot in July because so much of what our team does at Tuckpoint Advisory Group is rooted in helping leaders successfully transform to product-led organizations. And most of the magic starts at the top. To quote the novel Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come." This is true of your product-led culture, too. If you lead with certain mindsets, competencies, and proven methods, your talent will more easily embrace change (rather than resist it), innovate freely (rather than fear failure), and feel ownership over their part in achieving the vision. To kick off this line of thought, here's a great read by Jackie Colburn who so wonderfully shares the human-centered design mindsets that leaders can use to support a more creative, innovative, and engaged team.

Eyes on the Future: The Role of Vision in Design Leadership Innovative vision isn’t just a pillar of design leadership; it’s the cornerstone that has significantly shaped my approach to leading creative projects and driving technological change. ⤵ Understanding Innovative Vision Innovative vision involves anticipating needs, thinking creatively to solve problems, and leading change. For me, it means looking beyond the horizon, envisioning the future of design, and actively creating it. ⤵ How I Cultivate and Apply Innovative Vision ▶ Fostering a Culture of Curiosity: I work with my team to question the status quo relentlessly and explore what might seem impossible today. I love our brainstorming sessions; they are vibrant forums where any idea can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. ▶ Commitment to Learning: A learner for life. I believe this is the root of anything you do in life. Keep learning, understand how things are changing, explore emerging trends and technologies, and reciprocate the same within your team. ▶ Collaborative Ideation: Innovation often springs from diversity. Collaborating with people from different backgrounds and disciplines has enriched our solutions and broadened my perspective on what is possible. ▶ Promoting Risk-Taking: Creating a safe space for risk-taking is essential. I tell my team that every failure is a step towards our next success. This mindset has liberated us to pursue bold ideas without fearing failure, many of which have become our flagship solutions. Over the past year at ProCreator - Global UI/UX Design Agency, we've not only introduced AI into our processes but have also swiftly adapted our entire team to these advancements. It helped me realize how a vision is more than foreseeing the future—it’s about proactively molding it. Stay tuned for more insights on how to better design leaders! #designers #leadership #vision #innovative #designcommunity #leaders

I was mentioned in Fast Company again last week, and I've spent the last few days figuring out if I should talk about it and what I might say. I've been struggling with balancing my deep gratitude for even being mentioned with my deep frustration with how inaccurately my work at Chief Design Officer School had been represented in the last article. I absolutely believe design executives deserve to have spaces for thinking, commiserating, and connecting. I've been very fortunate to be part of such spaces and communities. There are real benefits in both having and being part of these exclusive spaces. For the record, though, CDO School is not such a space. For too long, access to real-world context, knowledge, and skills about how good business gets done has been limited to those in executive spaces. For too long, access to good leadership coaching, instruction, and mentorship has been limited to those who somehow found their way into executive spaces. CDO School is not such a space. For too long, design has been propped up as both the answer and the adversary to good business. Fundamentally, design can't solve flawed business logic, and business can't solve flawed designer logic. CDO School is a space where we respect and examine both. At CDO School, we share the kind of advanced-level content, knowledge, resources, coaching, instruction, and mentorship typically reserved for executives. We share it with all those who want it. More importantly, this space is to help others hone their logic before they are under pressure to make decisions. We share openly, with as much kindness, rigor, vulnerability, honesty, integrity, and ethics as we have. We welcome questions, we invite learning, and we're honest about what we're capable of or when we don't know. CDO School is a space for "the rest of us." CDO School is not a free space. It's $300 per year. It's the business logic that enables me to be a better designer of this space. Rather than wrestling with my feelings any longer, I'm grateful that Sarah Gallivan Mitchell (https://lnkd.in/e4zyMVXk), Andy Polaine (https://lnkd.in/eEAhAx2a), and Scott Berkun (https://lnkd.in/eBRNRk9b) have shared thoughtful and compelling responses to those Fast Company articles. They've largely captured how I've felt for a long time, and what I've been feeling again these last few days. I imagine they've captured some of what you're feeling as well. 😊

Ever wondered what on earth a fractional design leader is? And how they can help your business? I've been asked this question from clients in California to Mumbai, so, let's break it down. As one of the first fractional Head of Designs, I'm sharing my insights from my inaugural year, (more articles to come, I promise). It touches on... 🌟 Who are the perfect partners for a fractional design leader? 🔍 How fractional design leaders can help build design focussed development teams 💼 Why short, impactful stints with fractional design leaders can transform your business Have any questions or just want to chat? I'm all ears. Like, share, and drop your thoughts below. Read the 3min article: https://lnkd.in/en9x99BH #FractionalDesignLeadership #BusinessTransformation #FractionalLeadership #DesignLeadership

As innovation continues to impact business in every industry, leaders need to think creatively and anticipate change. Get ideas for making the most of today’s technological revolution here: https://buff.ly/2DAfLYu For more Leadership tips from Blueprint Leadership, click here --> #blueprintleadership and click follow! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dizFjy4 #HR #Emotionalintelligence #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement

Necessity is the mother of Inventions. Similarly ‘Continuous / Continual’ Innovation is the necessity for ‘Transformation / Evolution / Growth’ of any Individual or Organization. Leaders say - Innovation is the only way forward. A 'Blast from the Past' picture of me Receiving the ‘Innovation Award’ , to today delivering a Learning Session on ‘Design Thinking - for Innovation’. I would like to Thank my Organization , the Managers for recognizing our ‘Business Solution’ for the award and ‘Learning & Development Team’ for todays opportunity. Three Criteria as per IDEO’s Design Thinking Framework : 1)Desirability (Unmet need of EndUser) 2)Feasibility (Technical) 3)Viability (Financial) As per Stanford Design Thinking - Design thinking is a methodology for creative problem solving. Five Days , Five steps: 1)Empathize, 2)Define, 3)Ideate, 4)Prototype & 5)Test. Iterate to Step3or4 to meet the Desired outcome. To inspire a Team to Innovate – 1)Encourage Collaboration /Teamwork , 2)Conducive Environment & Autonomy , 3)Encourage ideas - build on them..It may add an element in Final version 4)Reward / Celebrate. Few Qualities necessary to Innovate – Curiosity , Empathy , Optimism , Practicality , Creativity , Collaboration. Please feel free to add more in comments or reach out.

As a Designer, Design Manager or Design Leader while it’s exciting to talk about Design, Design Method or Design Thinking, what the rest of the business [AND YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM] may want to hear about is… Our team contributed to [REVENUE GROWTH] by doing... Our work reduced [CUSTOMER ACQUISITION COST] by designing... Our work in Q1 increased [CSAT] through delivery of... This year we helped to reduce customer [CHURN RATE] by... When we talk about business savvy Designers, this is what we mean. You don’t have to sacrifice Ideals, Design, or become someone else… Craft team value the way you approach designing products & services: - understand the humans you engage with - segment your audiences - identify each of their needs and opportunities - know what is important to them--and what isn't - learn how they expect to consume it And then, craft your team's narrative and deliver the right message to the right people… Note: insert the metrics that pertain to your organisational strategy and vision, e.g. public services will have different sets of measures - thanks Christian Crumlish for the prompt. #design #designthinking #designleadership #designing #leadership

Innovation often requires a shift in mindset. Embracing design thinking can be the key to unlocking creativity and problem-solving in any field. This guide offers practical steps that encourage us to approach challenges from fresh angles, fostering collaboration and empathy along the way. 1. Start by observing your environment and the people in it. 2. Define the real problems you want to solve. 3. Ideate without limitations—let creativity flow. 4. Prototype your solutions and share them for feedback. 5. Test and refine your ideas based on real-world interactions. Following these steps not only enhances your own skills but also cultivates a stronger team dynamic. This methodology can lead to breakthroughs, helping you navigate complexities with ease. What tips do you have for incorporating design thinking into your work? Let's share our insights! #DesignThinking #Innovation #CreativeMindset #Leadership #PersonalGrowth https://lnkd.in/eZcYffpz

As innovation continues to impact businesses in every industry, leaders need to think creatively and anticipate change. Get ideas for making the most of today’s technological revolution! Comment - which ideas is most compelling to you? For more Leadership tips from Blueprint Leadership, click here --> #blueprintleadership and click follow! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dizFjy4 #HR #Emotionalintelligence #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement

Ever wondered what on earth a fractional design leader is? And how they can help your business? We've been asked this question from clients in California to Mumbai, so, let's break it down. As one of the first fractional Head of Designs, our founder Bhavesh Mistry is sharing his insights from his inaugural year. He touches on... 🌟 Who are the perfect partners for a fractional design leader? 🔍 How fractional design leaders can help build design focussed development teams 💼 Why short, impactful stints with fractional design leaders can transform your business Have any questions or just want to chat? We are all ears. Like, share, and drop your thoughts below. Read the 3min article: https://lnkd.in/e6z3vHKA #FractionalDesignLeadership #BusinessTransformation #FractionalLeadership #DesignLeadership