Systematic who?

Where’ve I been? Around the time of my last post we experienced a reorganization that has been distracting but overall is beneficial to me. In short, the function my little group was performing – strategic business architecture of a global best-of-breed approach – was eliminated, along with our team’s leader. That was the disruptive part. My specific function is now focused more precisely on the interfaces between users and systems. I’m carefully avoiding saying “User Interface” because design is only a single part of it. In this capacity I still manage the Portal (my new Portal Ops Manager starts on Monday!). Our role is to burnish the rough edges off our touchpoints, from GUIs to (ultimately) service centers. This in my estimate is a Good Thing.

I’ve now got a small team of designers and usability specialists under me so I’ll have resources with which to execute. In a few weeks we’re heading out on a series of focus groups on our internal mobility initiative in every region which will ultimately inform our external facing recruitment efforts. I really look forward to these exercises, they’re grueling but the chance to do fieldwork prior to delivery is rare and I like to get out in front of people in other countries and hear what they have to say.

Hopefully as the dust settles I’ll get more habitual about my posts. If any of you still visit here I’d love to hear what you think the viability of this effort is, and if you had the opportunity to do something like this, what would be your highest priorities?