Redesign/UXD 2015 Winning the Goat Rodeo: Lessons learned from jam sessions

WINNING THE GOAT RODEO

AVIVA W ROSENSTEIN

DOCUSIGN, INC. UX RESEARCH NERD & AMATEUR MUSICIAN

GOAT RODEO: A chaotic situation, typically in a corporate setting…

“Where so many things ... go wrong that you need to go right for everything to turn out not utterly disastrous.”

--Chris Thile

Sloop John B ChartKey= GG / / / So hoist up the John B's sail

G / / / See how the main sail sets

G / / / Call for the Captain ashore

D / / / Let Me Go Home

G / / / Let Me Go Home

C / / / I want to go home, yeah yeah

G / D / Well I feel so broke up

G / / / Please let me go home

Don’t bring a tuba to a bluegrass jam.

HOW TO RUN A LOUSY JAM SESSION

• Don’t Explain The Structure.

• Insist On Playing Something Nobody Knows

• Show off. After all, it’s all about you.

• Don’t Bring Charts.

• Stop A Song To Critique Someone And Tell Them “You’re Doing It Wrong”

• Treat It Like An Audition

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED FROM JAM SESSIONS

1. Understand The Culture

2. Set Expectations As You Go

3. Listen & Watch

4. Stay In Tune

5. Set A Rhythm

6. Set a Structure

7. Pay Attention and Listen

8. RightSize

9. Don’t Over Contribute

10. Let Others Shine

11. Take Turns

12. Show The Ropes

13. Find The Right Times

14. Sharpen Your Skills

15. Improve Over Time

16. Let Flow Happen

HOW DO YOU WIN A GOAT RODEO?

Everybody has fun.

Nobody gets hurt.

Everyone learns something…