How to start cultural change as a designer

Birgit recommends leading with business problems, understanding leader KPIs, and practicing change management.

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Episode notes

This episode falls into a pattern that's hard to ignore...

I'm seeing a growing undercurrent of design leaders strongly advocating for a more sustainable approach toward work and life.

It is hard to separate this development from the rise of AI, which is shaping many aspects of our lives and turning what we know upside down. Sure, there's always been a push to do more, and preferably faster and cheaper, but now with AI, it feels like the volume knob has been turned to 11.

Of course, this has a significant impact on us as service design professionals. The "productivity" pressure is rising for us as well. And if we're honest, it often reaches a point where it not only takes away the fulfillment we find in our work, but also leaves us on the edge of burnout.

But we're humans, not machines. We're not merely replaceable cogs in a system. So we must find an alternative.

One of the leaders advocating for this more sustainable approach toward work is our guest, Birgit Geiberger. She argues that in order for us to thrive in this new reality, we must adopt a different leadership style. Birgit says we need to focus on leading with both head and heart in a way she calls regenerative leadership.

In this conversation, we unpack what this form of leadership entails and why it's now more important than ever. Birgit offers ideas on how you can push back and escape the unsustainable pace of work when everything and everyone around us seems to demand more, go, go, go.

We discuss what you can do on a day-to-day basis to find your grounding and stay true to who you truly are in a world where compromises are unavoidable. And finally, we investigate how you can show that doing things in a regenerative way is not just good for you, but also accelerates and increases your business impact.

A great conversation, packed with hope, inspiration, and practical advice for anyone who wants to bring back the joy in their work again.

What might be good to know is that I haven't selected my recent guests based on their interest in this theme, or instructed them in any way to discuss it. This is just something that emerges when I ask them to speak about what is dear to their hearts right now.

If you've been listening to the Show, I'm curious if you've noticed this undercurrent as well.

Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!

~ Marc

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 249

04:15 Human-Centered Leadership Legacy

06:30 Post-Pandemic Reflections

10:00 Redefining Growth and Resources

13:00 Introduction to Regenerative Leadership

15:00 The Power of Self-Leadership

18:30 Designing for Mental Capacity

22:00 Moving Beyond Short-Term Business Thinking