Getting Stakeholders On Board
Getting difficult stakeholders on board with UX initiatives requires a mix of strategic communication, empathy, and data-driven persuasion. Here’s how I like to approach it:

The Goals:
  • Maintain positive relationships with design partners by building alignment and clarity between design and other teams.
  • Improve the user experience, solve problems, and lead collaboration across teams.
  • Ensure transparency, high quality and on-time delivery of projects, while maintaining design standards.

Understand Stakeholders' Perspective:
  • Identify Priorities: Are stakeholders focused on business objectives, engineering constraints, or timelines?
  • Understand Concerns: What makes stakeholders resistant to UX? Lack of UX understanding, fear of change, or negative experiences?
  • Speak their Language: Present UX in a way that aligns with their priorities and objectives.(e.g., improved task completion time, reduced support costs).

Build Credibility and Relationships
  • Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders through regular one-on-one meetings.
  • Find internal allies who can advocate for UX. (e.g., product managers, engineers)
  • Demonstrate the impact of UX through quick wins that resolve key stakeholder pain points.

Leverage Data to Build a Strong Case
  • Show Business Impact: Use metrics like increased engagement or reduced support tickets.
  • Present real user feedback: Showcase usability testing clips or user quotes to to make the problem tangible.
  • Benchmark Competitors: Demonstrate how UX enhancements give industry leaders a competitive advantage.

Involve Stakeholders in the Process
  • Invite stakeholders to usability tests or design sessions so they see user frustrations firsthand.
  • Include them in small UX-related tasks to create investment. (e.g., prioritizing usability issues)
  • Co-create solutions rather than simply presenting completed work.

Be Strategic About When and How to Push
  • Pick your Battles: Focus on high-impact areas first rather than trying to change everything at once.
  • Time your Proposals: Introduce UX recommendations when they align with key project milestones for maximum impact.
  • Offer Alternatives: If stakeholders reject one approach, propose a compromise that still enhances UX.

Show Progress and Keep Iterating
  • Track and share UX improvements.
  • Celebrate small wins to reinforce the impact of UX.
  • Continue to educate stakeholders with workshops, case studies, and examples from other companies (evidence-based UX).
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