Its OK to talk about failure — career progression edition

Failure is something we talk about in the User Research and Performance Analysis community at GDS, and its something I want to incorporate into more of my blogging, to think more about what I have learnt both through success and failure.

So here is the first post in (hopefully) a series looking at what I have learnt from failure.

Late last year in one of our regular GDS community events, we used the session to talk about failures and what we had learnt from them. It was entirely voluntary, although everyone did contribute and we agreed that what was said in the room, stayed in the room. Spontaneously we clapped after each story, which was a really nice show of support. Later I had feedback from more junior colleagues about how important it had been to them to hear more senior colleagues talk about failures, to be reminded that things can go wrong for anyone, at any level and that it is part of the learning process.

I’ve also been reflecting on my 2 years at GDS and 4 years as a civil servant for and my career path. My career so far I suspect, has similar patterns of both stagnation and progression to others careers.

Do you want to know something? I didn’t get a job at GDS the first time I tried. Back in 2014, I applied for a senior user research position, got an interview but didn’t get the job. I was given great feedback on what I’d done well and what I needed to work on. At that point I didn’t have experience in working with sceptical people, those who didn’t think user research has value or weren’t aware of its value. Up to that point most of my experience was in academia and in environments that were bought into User Centre Design (UCD), because an organisation had commissioned the agency I was working for to do a user centred project, for example. They may not necessarily be asking for the right thing (methodologies etc), but they understood the value of doing the work.

It just so happened that I got a lot of this kind of experience when I joined the Ministry of Defence (MOD), where agile and UCD principles and processes were, at the time, not yet embedded. I learnt to advocate, show the value, build capability and persuade and influence, and meet the Service Standard. first as the UX lead and then a position to Head of Digital Strategy. I learnt how to prioritise the hard way, at first working on too many things at once.

When I interviewed again for a position at GDS, I was successful, but not for the position that I had gone for. I had interviewed for a lead user researcher position and was offered a senior user researcher position. I accepted the position, it was enough because I wanted to get back to focusing on user research, after 2 years with MOD and I wanted to work for GDS. This time from my interview feedback I learnt that I need to be able to talk about leadership and strategy as well as delivery.

After 4 months at GDS I interviewed for a lead user research position again and this time I was successful. I spent the next year as the Lead User Researcher of the Service Design, Standards and Assurance programme. Balancing leading the user research strategy on the programme, supporting its user researchers and helping to deliver what will be a user centric iteration of the service standard.

I am now the Head of User Research and Analysis. Do you want to know something else? I didn’t get this job the first time around either. The first time around again I had to learn to talk more persuasively about leadership, strategy and delivery. I was also not the right person for a cross government community position, but my skills and strengths and experience do lend themselves to running an internal community.

What have I concluded from reflecting on this?

• Persistence is important to get where you want to go
• Career paths aren’t always a straight line (well mine certainly hasn’t been!)
• Reflect on your what your strengths are, where you need to develop and your skills and experience that’s got you to where you are
• Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback — where do your colleagues think your strengths lie and where you need to development?
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help — to develop in the areas you want and need to — either through shadowing or a mentor or coach etc.