UX Maturity & Highlander Syndrome
Are you familiar with the movie “Highlander?” According to the mythos of the film “These individuals cannot die unless they are beheaded. When one immortal beheads another, they absorb their victim’s power and knowledge through a supernatural surge of energy called a Quickening.” In other words, these “beings” gain additional power by taking out one of their peers and absorbing their power and knowledge.
Someone might be wondering what this has to do with UX. If you’re familiar with my content, you’re already aware that I take time to address the topics, happenings, and trends in UX that others won’t dare to touch — things that aren’t about doing the work, BUT impacts who we are, what we do, how we do it, and the pitfalls associated with all these things. Some people avoid the topics I cover and encourage others to do the same, though they practically always come full circle and have to deal with the exact topics they once chose to avoid.
Examples:
- The Siege Against UX
In 2011, I began warning people about what I called “the siege against UX.” This involved a movement to redefine the discipline, lower the bar of entry, and basically reframe who we are, what we do, and the associated value propositions. I was told to be quiet. I was accused of rambling about nothing. For those who’ve been around since then, whaddya think? As they say, the proof is (and always will be) in the pudding. EVERYTHING that I warned folks about happen AND continues to happen today. The siege has actually become something else entirely now, as you can actually get “in trouble” for doing real UX today and the effects of the siege have been normalized. Go figure. - The Covert Mindsets Behind and Fallacy of Imposter Syndrome
For years, I have warned people, not only about the fallacy of imposter syndrome and encouraged people to think more critically about the subject, but I have shed light on the sinister mindsets of those who are determined to lay claim to this faux condition for nefarious reasons, with zero desire to overcome what they’re claiming. Many such people will practically (and literally) fight you if you try to provide insights that (if embraced) would loosen their grip (i.e., determination) on this “condition.” For the record, NOBODY who embraces the concept of imposter syndrome excels at what they do. You can face the truth, recognizing you have self-doubt, or stay cognitively bound by a falsehood and doomed to mediocrity. - The Unsustainability of Specializations
Basically speaking, there weren’t any specializations in UX prior to about 2011. Over the years, someone had an epiphany and began to separate the design, research, and strategy work into different roles. If you were in UX prior to 2011, you likely did “all the things.” What companies once paid one person to do became separated into 2, 3, and 4 individuals — and 2, 3, and 4 salaries. That, alone, eventually proved to be unsustainable, as the recent waves of layoffs in the UX world confirmed. My attempts to warn people about the lack of practicality associated with broad levels of specializations (yes, it is good at times) were cast aside, again. I’ve been quite outspoken about this over the past few years. Doing the math, coupled with evaluation of the associated ROI (alone) would show it was a valid claim on my part. I was ignored (again) mostly because what I was warning people about didn’t fit their agendas. Consider there were ZERO mass layoffs when UX team structures were more compact. Might want to let that marinate. Yet another lost battle, even though someone was very loud and demonstrated sound foresight about the matters.
These are only a few of the concepts and warnings I’ve presented, only to be ignored by most, over the years. In each of these scenarios, I shared my observations in hopes of fostering safety and success, but those with little to no sensitivity or care about the matters (folks with more influence and pull) deemed other things to be more important. We are NOW living in the environment and suffering the consequences that (apparently and whether intentional or not) met the approval of those people. Take a moment to think about the world of UX that you’re now living in today. Likin’ it? ;-)
NOW, I’m framing and warning people about another concept. I call it “Highlander Syndrome.” There is a contingent in UX circles that, for some odd reason, behaves as if identifying and engaging in efforts to discredit, nullify, circumvent, and depreciate someone who is firmly rooted in the discipline automatically “transfers” that person’s skill, knowledge, accomplishments, passion, and credibility to the “slayer.” There are groups of people in UX circles that work harder to make someone else look bad than they do to actually develop their own skill set and become truly qualified.
These people seek to multiply their 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years of “experience” (which often really isn’t that) by casting aspersions about someone who ACTUALLY IS who they say they are AND doing what should actually be done. This behavior is quite rampant. Sadly, the biggest problem is not the folks who live by this supposed creed, but those who embrace and reward said behaviors and attitudes.
At the core of this problem is (wait for it) a lack of UX maturity. As covered in the current World of UX with Darren Hood podcast series “Harsh Truths of UX Maturity,” the concepts about UX maturity we’ve been taught over the years sorely lacks holistic coverage. UX maturity is not just about the ease of operation and organizational support, but it also addresses the following:
- Personal UX maturity
- Team UX maturity
- Academic/Educational UX maturity
- Discipline-wide UX maturity
When personal UX maturity is lacking, expectations will be inappropriate. When personal UX maturity is lacking, the practitioner focuses on ill-begotten ways to advance. When personal UX maturity is lacking, a person will think they can get ahead by bringing someone else down or using them as a stepping stool. They’ll fail to recognize (or simply won’t care) that these mindsets deal blows to team and discipline-wide UX maturity. NOBODY gets ahead by taking down those who went before you. You don’t travel the same proverbial distance in 3 years that it took others 12 years to accomplish. Yet, this “Highlander” mindset prevails.
What are YOUR plans for advancing in UX today? How do you plan to up your game? Will you get ahead at the expense of others? Will you sling spaghetti and spitball your way to what appears to be the top, validated by others with low to no UX maturity, or will you advance in a sustainable way — through methodical and deliberate growth and development?
Closing Thoughts & Tips
Unlike imposter syndrome, Highlander syndrome IS real!!! Because more experienced people are pretty much the only ones targeted, this may fly under-the-radar for years and be yet another critical topic that will impact people discipline-wide (and with consequences). Here are a few thoughts for your consideration:
- It’s okay for several (truly) strong and qualified people to co-exist in the same space (not self-proclaimed leaders and “spaghetti” addicts). It’s actually NECESSARY if you want your team to thrive!!!
- If you’re not already deliberate about this, make it a point to value your teammates, especially those who are more seasoned.
- Develop genuine and fruitful relationships with those who are truly more senior than yourself.
- Take time to engage with other UXers in ways that will help sharpen one another, going as far as asking for tips when applicable.
- Never allow yourself to feel threatened by what someone else brings to the table.
- When someone else is in the proverbial spotlight, DO NOT force or demand attention on or for yourself.
- Building on that point, if and when someone else is in the proverbial spotlight, find out if there’s a way for you to support what they’re doing without turning said spotlight on yourself. Remember, it’s about the discipline and the team — not about YOU (so don’t make it about you).
- Don’t play the oneupmanship game, piggybacking on what someone else says or does in an attempt to establish or maintain perceived relevance. Those with Highlander syndrome often or always feel the need to have the last word whenever someone does something of note.
- Make sure you excel at (genuinely) valuing and lifting up others.
- DO NOT compete with team members. You’re not in a competition (though some will say that you are). You’re supposed to be working together or the common good of your operation and the organization. Trying to circumvent or outshine someone you’re tasked to work with WILL derail those efforts.
- Be emotionally intelligent — void of jealousy and envy, void of attention-seeking, and void of seeking a platform of promotion (at someone else’s expense).
Those with “Highlander syndrome” can’t and won’t do these things. Folks with that mindset MUST be THE ONE (i.e., at the top of the food chain) for a given group. They can’t bear to see someone else be recognized, respected, or trusted to impact an effort. They operate in resentment, failing to recognize that a (true) win for anyone in UX is a win for the discipline.
Beware of the following:
- People who can’t seem to be content when you do something noteworthy
- People who commandeer an effort you were understood to be leading
- People who behave as if you’re not present (after you’ve established a lead role for an initiative)
- People who insert themselves, unnecessarily, into an effort or presentation
- People who do everything in an attempt to make themselves relevant (when they aren’t)
- People who only support what you’re doing to connect to your efforts (when they’ve done nothing)
- People who refuse to give you credit for what you’ve done, coupled with touting some unrelated effort (just for the attention)
In each of these cases, you’re dealing with someone “suffering” from Highlander Syndrome.
What side of this matter will you be found on? And remember, contrary to the Highland mindset, there CAN be more than one.
P.S. If Highlander Syndrome sounds like a narcissistic state to you… well done. ;-)
About Dr. Darren
Dr. Darren Hood is a 30+-year UX practitioner with a broad professional footprint across B2B and B2C operations and holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. In addition to serving as a UX manager, individual contributor, and freelancer in the business world, Darren is serving or has served as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University, Champlain College, Brandeis University, Lawrence Tech University, Kent State University, UCLA, and Harrisburg University. He is also one of the authors featured in “97 Things Every UX Practitioner Should Know.” He also regularly speaks at conferences and mentors people worldwide.
You can hear more from Darren by visiting the KaizenUX Medium blog landing page, the KaizenUX YouTube channel, or by listening to The World of UX with Dr. Darren Hood wherever podcasts are available.
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