🚫 Suffocating Oversight

10 tactics for pushing back against UX micromanagement without damaging your career or your sanity

After more than two decades in UX, I've seen my fair share of different management styles.

So I wasn’t surprised when one of my students, a talented senior-level UXer with more 10 years of experience under her belt, came to me with a situation that “was testing her patience and professionalism like never before.”

Her recently appointed UX Director, fresh from a string of trendy startups, seemed to think "leadership" means hovering over every decision.

My mentee was suffocating, to say the least.

If you're an experienced UXer dealing a leader with a similar management style, here's how I'd recommended her to maintain her sanity and the quality of her work:

1. Document and demonstrate your process

When every design decision is questioned, it's tempting to just give in. Don't.

🚫 "Fine, I'll change it to whatever you want."

✅ "Here's the user research and testing that led to this design choice. I'm open to alternatives if we have data suggesting a different approach would be more effective."

B…