Working together

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.

Henry Ford

Why I wrote this?

This is my playbook for collaboration, not rules, but how I think, communicate, and deliver impact with teammates, partners, and cross-functional collaborators. It’s designed to help us align fast, work with clarity, and get meaningful work done without losing our sanity or sense of humor. 

Communication & Collaboration

Clarity is not optional. Confusion is expensive.

• Set and meet expectations. Say what you’ll do and do it.
• Come prepared. Lead with your thinking, then iterate.
• Simple is powerful. Structured writing and bullet points win.
• Story first, data second. Narrative gives meaning to metrics.
• Bring solutions. Don’t just point problems, propose paths forward.
• Original thinking matters. Fresh perspectives sharpen outcomes.
• Humor helps. Lightness builds trust and keeps us human.
• Challenge thoughtfully. Make me think; we both sharpen.

Organization & Work Ethic

Consistency in execution builds trust.

• Be structured. Organized thoughts, calendars, and files reduce friction.
• Be punctual. Respect for time equals respect for colleagues.
• Own the outcome. See gaps, fill them or flag them with context.
• Prioritize with judgment. Know urgent vs. important; escalate early.
• Leave things better. Every handoff should increase clarity.

Trust & Transparency

Trust is earned fast when honesty is normal.

• Surface issues early. Transparency trumps polish.
• Admit mistakes. We all make them, rapid correction matters more.
• Autonomy comes with accountability. I trust leaders who take responsibility.

Culture & Environment

Serious work doesn’t have to be somber.

• Bring your personality. Banter builds connection.
• Laugh and celebrate. Wins, big or small, deserve notice.
• Think big. Incremental isn’t enough on hard problems.

How I Think About Product and Design

Good design starts with the right problem and the right insight.

• Start with the right problem. Don’t jump to solve -frame and reframe first.
• User insight is the foundation. No feature without a traceable user need.
• End-to-end matters. We design for holistic journeys, not isolated screens.
• Experience trumps consistency. We prioritize the best user fit over enforcing internal uniformity.
• Design is everyone’s job. I coach cross-functional teams to think like designers.
• Choose tools that accelerate, not complicate. Use what moves the work forward.
• Balance user needs with business outcomes. It’s not a zero-sum game.

Let’s Build Something Great

This is how I work. If you’ve read this far, you now know what clarity, ownership, and impact look like for me. Let’s do meaningful work, take smart risks, make each other better and enjoy the ride.

Read about my Design Thinking approach and views on the Design Process.

See End-to-end Case Studies where I have applied Design Thinking methodologies to various projects.

Learn about my workshops on Design Thinking for Youth

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