Giving the Right Amount of Shits

GivingThe RightAmountof Shits

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how burnout happens

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the unburnout

happiness is...

what’s your shitfrustration is shittythe shit funnel don’t lose your shit

give a shit againshit happens

joy checkup

How Burnout HappensThis Shit Is Shitty

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It starts...

So Happy TogetherYOU

Lets make awesome

things!

YOUR ORGANIZATION

Great!

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But Then...Make awesome

things!

This sucks.

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Why?We have a strong desire to belong

Self-esteem acts as a measuring stick for how we think we are fitting in

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Self-Esteem

Belonging

Correlation

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Workplace effectivenessWorkplace effectiveness increases our self-esteem by making us feel like we are contributing within this system

We give too many shits.

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burn·outA syndrome of emotional exhaustion and decreased engagement in the workplace

This typically occurs when our needs aren’t being fulfilled in some way

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SUPERNOVA: Losing your shit.APATHY: Arms in the air – you just don’t care. ISOLATION: Disconnecting from peers.DEPRESSION: Sad kitten.

The SHIT this leads to.

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Types Of BurnoutI’m not happy I’m mad as hell

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The UnburnoutWhy To Prioritize Enjoying Your Job

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Work to PLAY vs. Play at WORK57% of your waking adult life is spent at work

don’t settle for work suckiness #uxburnout

You (probably) don’t need a new job.Instead, learn to give the right amount of shits.work happiness has some specific triggers...

Workplace Happiness

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Compensation/pay, overall (01)Job security (02)

Opportunities to use your skills/abilities (02)Relationship with immediate supervisor (03)

Benefits, the overall package (04)Organization’s financial stability (04)

The work itself (05)Communication between employees and senior management (06)

Management’s recognition of employee job performance (06)Feeling safe in the work environment (07)

Autonomy and independence (08)Overall corporate culture (09)

Meaningfulness of job (10)Relationships with co-workers (10)

Career advancement opportunities (11)Job specific training (11)

Organization’s commitment to professional development (12)Contribution of work to organization’s business goals (13)

Career development opportunities (14)Variety of work (14)

Organization’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (15)Organization’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce (16)

Paid general training and tuition reimbursement programs (17)Networking (18)

Organization’s commitment to a ‘green’ workplace (19)

60%

59%

59%

54%

53%

53%

51%

50%

50%

49%

47%

45%

41%

41%

40%

40%

36%

35%

33%

33%

31%

28%

27%

26%

22%

pay & benefitsjob security & stabilityfeel safe

Job Joy: the Baseline

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Compensation/pay, overall (01)Job security (02)

Opportunities to use your skills/abilities (02)Relationship with immediate supervisor (03)

Benefits, the overall package (04)Organization’s financial stability (04)

The work itself (05)Communication between employees and senior management (06)

Management’s recognition of employee job performance (06)Feeling safe in the work environment (07)

Autonomy and independence (08)Overall corporate culture (09)

Meaningfulness of job (10)Relationships with co-workers (10)

Career advancement opportunities (11)Job specific training (11)

Organization’s commitment to professional development (12)Contribution of work to organization’s business goals (13)

Career development opportunities (14)Variety of work (14)

Organization’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (15)Organization’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce (16)

Paid general training and tuition reimbursement programs (17)Networking (18)

Organization’s commitment to a ‘green’ workplace (19)

60%

59%

59%

54%

53%

53%

51%

50%

50%

49%

47%

45%

41%

41%

40%

40%

36%

35%

33%

33%

31%

28%

27%

26%

22%

use your abilitiesrelationships at workenjoy what you doautonomy company culturemeaningfulnessskill developmentvariety

Job Joy: the Grind

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Being happy leads to success because your positive brain is better than your neutral brain.● More productive, resilient, creative, intelligent, more

adaptive● Less susceptible to burnout

Happiness Advantage

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Predicting Job Success

25% IQ● knowledge● intellect

75% Gumption ● optimism● social support● see stress as a challenge (not a threat)

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Predicting Long Term Happiness

10% 90%

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Happiness is...I Do Not Think That Word Means

What You Think It Means

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Happiness Is......not what most people think

NOT A RESULT YOU ATTAIN ● promotion ● bigger apartment● more money

result in short-lived bumps that don’t last #uxburnout

Happiness occurs when...Experience exceeds expectation

EXPERIENCE > EXPECTATION =

EXPERIENCE < EXPECTATION =

but there’s a catch... #uxburnout

Happiness is...subject to hedonic adaptation ~your expectations adjust to your circumstances

+ =

status changes eventually become the “norm”which means...

I’m so happy! I’m fine

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Happiness is...aspirational and elusive...which is good because you don’t live in a cave.

This is WAY better than not having shelter. Innovation DONE! Happiness achieved! That’s all I need!

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The desire for happiness...+ hedonic adaptation = drives the pursuit to make life better.

This is WAY better than not having shelter. Innovation DONE! Happiness achieved!

Life in this cave is boring. I’d be SO happy if it was just warm & I could see. And that’s all I need. And a paddle game. And a remote control. Not one other thing. And a chair. That’s all I need. And a dog. And that’s all.

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Happiness Is...…fleeting. So fleet the shit out of life with intentional activity.● episodic● in the moment● requires regular attention

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How to Be HappyStrategy 1 of 3

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Engineer Your Happiness

KEEP SCORE of what makes you happyknow your own USER NEEDS

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Hug a Puppy

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Find Your Happy Place

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Add Happy To Your Routine


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Another Approach: Reset NeutralAdjust your normal (aka your level between “happy” bumps).

I’m fine I’m good.

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What Gets Focus Naturallyupcoming tasksworries, stresses, complaints

What To Focus On To Be Happy accomplishmentswhat’s going right

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Training Happiness● start your day with (e-)kindness

● 3 weeks of 3 things: every day write down 3 new things you are grateful for

● daily journal about a positive experience

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Fake It Till You Make It

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You are a Giant 2-Year-Old

● get enough sleep & nap if you’re tired● eat healthy snacks & balanced meals ● exercise, run around, get fresh air● don’t power through discomfort

If your two-year-old self would be crying, fix it.#uxburnout

Job JoyWhat Is Impacting Your Happy

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How is this shit for you?use your abilities

relationships at workenjoy what you do

autonomy company culturemeaningfulness

skill developmentvariety

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What Shit Even Matters?what’s important to you?tell me what you want. what you really really want.

set goals so you have a gaugeaim high. or at least aim.

check yo selfhow are you doing? what needs correcting? what priorities have changed?

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use your abilitieswork relationshipsenjoy what you do



WHY?FACTOR RATING CARING

#1 Use Your Abilities

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Are you doing what you are good at?Are you doing what you were trained to do?

#2 Work Relationships

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How’s your relationship with your project team?With your supervisor? With management?Your UX peers? With your mentor or mentees?

#3 Enjoy What You Do

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What do you spend your day doing?Do you like doing that?

#4 Autonomy

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Do you have control of your schedule?Do you have ownership of what you work on?Do you make decisions about what’s in or not?

#5 Company CultureWhat is it? What would you change?What do you like about it?

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#6 Meaningfulness

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How is your job important to what gets done?How does your work make the world better?

#7 Skill Development

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What resources and opportunities do you have?Mentoring? Conferences? Tasks outside your comfort zone?What do you want to improve?What would help your work to improve?

#8 VarietyWhat variety do you get? Projects? People?What variety would be ideal? What’s realistic?

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Frustration is ShittyUnderstanding What Happens When The Shit Hits The Fan

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Sources of Frustration1) You work with people

2) You work in a place

3) You work with yourself

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Working with People● Combative ● Lack of trust● No positive feedback● Competition● Overly siloed

YOUR COLLEAGUES

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Working in a Place● Work overload● No control● Management pressure● Insufficient rewards● Unestablished company culture

YOUR ORGANIZATION

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Working with Yourself● Anxious● Unassertive [or overly assertive]● Insecure● Eager to please ● Too motivated at work

YOU

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“Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.” -Mark Twain

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Can You Avoid The Shit?Of the things that piss you off, identify those youcan’t change

AND LET THEM GO

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Its The PrincipleOften we feel like things go wrong specifically to hurt our feelings

THEY DON’T

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Everyone is Dealing with ShitDon’t take it personal when someone gives you shit. Chances are it’s not about you

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Mea Culpa / Sua CulpaDon’t look for is to blame

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WHO

Mea Culpa / Sua CulpaLook for is to blame

CONTEXT

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WHAT

Adjusting ExpectationsWhy did this water turn brown?

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Adjusting ExpectationsIts not water at all (its bourbon… now I want bourbon)

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The Devil is in the Details

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Take context at face value.

Resist the urge to expect similar outcomes from contexts that seem similar

What’s Your ShitIdentify The Problem

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So What’s Your Barrel?Narrow down the real problem by asking:

○ Is it more than one person?○ Is it more than one project?○ Is it more than one task?○ Is it outside of work?

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What do they have in common? What are they doing that’s so annoying?

Is it just one bad project, or does is go beyond that?

Is there one task that is particularly stressful, or are there multiple tasks? What are they and why?

Are there things outside of work that are making it harder for you to deal with normal work stressors?

The Shit FunnelHow To Know What To Give A Shit About

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This Is A Story About ControlWhat among your problems can you change?(We’ll give you a hint)

CAN CONTROL CAN’T CONTROLYOUR BEHAVIOR EVERYONE ELSE’S BEHAVIOR

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The Shit Funnel

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ALL THE SHIT

SHIT I CAN CONTROL

SHIT I CARE ABOUT

SHITS I GIVE

What things can I do to change the way I handle the shit?

What areas do I want to improve in to increase my happiness?

What am I actually going to focus my time and energy on?

What are my actual problems?

Don’t Lose Your ShitHow To Not Lose Your Shit When Shit is Going Down

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the Supernova

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What are We Fighting About?Pause for alignment● Goals & Objectives● Priorities● Constraints

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Are you using the same lens?

Active EmpathyBefore you ARGUE, take their side.

What is their intention? What are they trying to do? What are they trying to protect? What perspective do they have that you don’t?

Verbalize the sames AND the differences. #uxburnout

DoStay calmUse facts, logic, dataAsk & listenConcede pointsAdvocate for the userRespect project tensionLook for win-win

Get personalGet distractedWater it down ProvokeExaggerate

Don’t

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Life is ComedyImprov style: ROLL WITH BAD IDEAS. Good for brainstorming & problem solving.

THE RULES:● Don’t negate● Accept & add on● Make it work

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Simmer DownMeditate through the urge to explode● observe your thoughts, feelings, reaction● don’t judge, don’t fix it, don’t act● focus on your breathing● postpone responding

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Recognize Your TriggersLearn yourself.What sets you off?How do you avoid it?How do you quell it early on?

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Shit HappensTips For Handling The Shit

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The Shit Is In There

And it needs to be dealt with.

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Guilt-Free BreaksDon’t waste your breaks

Facebooking.

Get away from your desk and do something that

makes you happy.

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I’m Going To Pump You Up

Just Say No!And accept that some people might be angry with you (its going to be ok)

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Work Smarter

Potential efficiency opportunities:● Cut out a detailed func spec ● Skip [unnecessary] meetings (or call in)● Wear headphones

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Not harder.

I AM Here to Make Friends!

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You Can’t Do It Alone“Asking for help with gratitude says: We have the power to help each other”

- Amanda Palmer

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You Have Nothing To ProveLet go of the notion that you have all the answers

Its ok if someone has a better idea, it doesn’t mean you suck(We still think you’re awesome)

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Stop ComplainingKeep venting sessions brief and only to trusted colleagues, friends and family

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Stay PositiveDon’t let a bad situation turn you into a different person

Your attitude has the power to change your environment

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Elements of Organizational CultureSchein

Unconscious mental modelsAssumptions

Beliefs and IdeologiesValues

Processes and behaviorsActions

Attitudes Feelings and emotions

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What Your Momma Gave Youown your strengths & accentuate them

find workarounds for your weaknesses

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Give A Shit [Again]Hitting The Reset Button

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Its Time To Start Over

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Go Back to the BasicsTalk to your users (guerilla this shit if you can’t get funding for research)

Read new UX books and reread the classics

Attend conferences (like this one. Good job!)

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Time For a New ChallengeImplement a new design or research technique(maybe some you’ve learned at the IA Summit??)

Try a new deliverable ● Sick of wireframes? Try a different tool or for less

complex projects, just sketch on a white board

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Make Shit HappenDecide what you want

ASK, create proposals & requests, or JUST DO IT

Stretch outside your comfort zone

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Get A LifeDon’t rely on your job alone to satisfy your need to create, analyze or just be part of something awesome

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Talk ShopSchedule regular check-ins with UX colleagues

Join a meetup in your areaCan’t find one? Start one!

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Make Good UX

“The biggest problem of success is that the world conspires to stop you doing the thing that you do,

because you are successful.”- Neil Gaiman

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No More ShitsWhen Enough is Enough

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Ummm...use your abilities

relationships at workenjoy what you do



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Nothing Is WorkingThere may come a time to leave your job, client or project

Just beware...

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The Grass Is Always Greener...

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Focus On Changing YourselfIf you don’t change how you handle your stressors, then things won’t change.

Because...

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Shit Is Everywhere

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make happy a priority

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engineer joy

see the good

have a focus

it’s not personal

find the real whys

see their side breath through itREBOOTsay no & ask for help

More About How Much to CareThe Happiness Advantage by Shawn Anchor

Burnout: The Cost of Caring by Christina Maslach & Philip Zimbardo

The Person and The Situation by Lee Ross & Richard Nisbett

The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do About It by Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter

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resources

Thank You!@uxmarti

@megan_schwarz

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