What Ted Lasso taught me as a UX designer
*No spoilers*
For those of you who haven’t binged this Netflix series, Ted Lasso is an Emmy award-winning television show where an American football coach moves to the UK to coach a Premiership football league. Ted’s unique and unconventional coaching style leaves his team [and the audience] feeling positive and good about the world. Ted teaches uplifting lessons on how to lead people, how to spread positivity, and how to handle difficult situations in life.
Sadly, not everyday is sunshine and rainbows.
I’m a happy and positive person most of the time. But don’t get me wrong, sometimes the stress of the corporate world can be tolling. As a UX designer, I work with people everyday. This comes with its highs and its lows. But watching Ted Lasso really inspired me to challenge myself.
My goal was to be more like Ted.
Have empathy
As a UX designer, you are taught to empathize with your users. But you need to empathize with your co-workers as well. In the UX world, you work with a lot of different personalities. And you may not get along with everyone. But it’s important to be understanding when working with others, especially if there is conflict.
- Stay calm. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. It’s probably nothing personal.
- Empathize with your co-worker. Everyone is fighting their own battles. They may be dealing with something stressful at home and they are probably taking their stress out on you.
- Engage in acts of kindness towards your co-worker. Instead of feeding more negativity into the situation, shed some positivity.
- Forgive and forget. Don’t let a negative situation with a co-worker ruin your day.
“You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory.” -Ted
Being the underdog
You may be new to an organization with less experience than others. You may feel like you don’t deserve to be there. You may worry you aren’t a good UX designer. The truth is, you were hired for a reason. Don’t doubt yourself.
The best designers were once in your shoes before. Don’t let your doubt get in the way of your success.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail. If you are a new designer, the best way to learn is to fail.
“Do you believe in ghosts, Ted?”
“I do. But more importantly, I think they need to believe in themselves.” -Ted
Life goes on
There are more important things in life than work.
I realize that people need to support themselves and their families. But it’s important to try and limit the stress you have in the office. At the end of the day, it’s just a job. Life goes on.
“For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.” -Ted
Spreading optimism
I’m a firm believer that positivity breeds positivity. What you put into the universe, you will get back.
If your workplace lacks positivity, you can be the one to bring positivity and pass it on to others.
People will start to notice and reciprocate.
“I believe in hope. I believe in ‘Believe.’ ” -Ted
Being a mentor
It’s important to have a mentor throughout your career. And as you grow in your career, you may find that you’ll become a mentor to someone as well.
It’s important to know the characteristics of a good mentor and what you should look for.
A mentor should:
- Give support in areas you need help in
- Offer guidance on what’s best for you
- Encourage you to be the best version of yourself
- Offer respectful feedback and constructive criticism
“A good mentor hopes you will move on. A great mentor knows you will.” -Rebecca
