Service Design Show

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  The Job You Were Hired for Doesn't Actually Exist / Zac & Jeff / Inside Service Design #15 17.09.2026 1ч 1мин

  Stop doing the job they posted and start navigating the workplace that actually exists. In this episode, we reveal the hidden political maps that dictate how decisions are really made inside your organization.Service design professionals love to believe good work speaks for itself. The reality is much more complicated. The official org chart is usually pure fiction, and the real choices happen in rooms you are not in. Marc sits down with Zac Heisey and Jeff Hoekwater to unpack the realities of the political organization. They explain how to draw a map of reality so you stop wasting months on work that is already dead in the water.🎧 In This EpisodeThe Danger of the Job Description: Why doing exactly what you were hired to do can actually get you in trouble.The Unofficial Map: How to chart out the real power structures and influence in your company.Behind Closed Doors: Uncovering the truth about how and where decisions actually get made.Picking Your Battles: How to know when a decision is simply above your pay grade and not worth fighting.Job Hunting Masterclass: Practical insights to help you find a team that aligns with the realities of the work.What is one thing about your role that was entirely missing from the job description? Drop your answer in the comments below or reach out to us directly!If you want to spend your energy on work that actually has a chance of seeing the light of day, hit the subscribe button so you never miss a guide to the real service design industry.Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact!Take care,~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---00:00 Intro05:00 Zac's Journey11:00 Job Hunt18:30 Networking21:45 Unofficial Map26:00 Delight Politics31:15 Moving On45:00 Bloopers52:00 Success Metrics56:45 Conclusion--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---Zac’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacheiseyJeff’s LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhoekwater--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle ---[4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-15-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-15-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-15-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-15-snipd
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  The Hidden Cost of Chasing Career Success / Ida Persson / Episode #262 10.09.2026 59мин

  Are you exhausted from constantly chasing the next career milestone without ever feeling truly satisfied? Join us as we explore how to step off the treadmill and shift your focus from endless professional growth to genuine human flourishing.🎧 In This EpisodeThe competitive swimmer mentality and how it secretly drives your service design career.Why real rest feels completely incompatible with the standard corporate calendar.Unlearning the limiting beliefs about success and security that keep you running 24/7.Navigating abrupt career stops and the lessons learned from the closure of IDEO Munich.How to transition your mindset from chasing metrics to finding joy in your practice.Ida Persson is a designer focused on social impact and climate work. After spending 20 years as a competitive swimmer and later working at IDEO Munich, she learned the hard way what it means to finally slow down and question the endless hustle.What actually brings you joy in your work? We want to hear from you. Drop a comment below with your thoughts or subscribe to the channel for more conversations on building a sustainable design career.Enjoy the conversation and by all means take a break .Take care,~ Marc[ 1. GUIDE ]00:00 Introduction03:15 Achievement Treadmill09:00 The Cost12:45 Leaving IDEO16:45 Corporate Culture20:30 Creative Price21:45 Ethical Lines31:45 Design Shifts36:30 Status Quo42:30 True Flourishing46:00 Open Ideas50:15 Human Dignity56:30 Finding Joy57:15 Takeaways[ 2. LINKS ]LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/idampersson/DesignShifts - https://www.designshifts.org/[ 3. CIRCLE ]Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle [4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-snipd
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  Who Are You Without Your Job Title / Gabriela Salinas / Episode #261 27.08.2026 1ч 1мин

  Sending applications into the void and facing endless final round rejections will break anyone's confidence. Learn how to disconnect your self worth from your career and discover where the market actually wants your skills.In this episode, we sit down with Gabriela to discuss the brutal reality of the modern job market. After surviving seven grueling application processes only to receive seven rejections, she learned a massive lesson. Rejection is almost never about your actual talent. We explore how to navigate job search fatigue, stop taking hiring decisions personally, and rethink your entire professional identity.
🎧 In This Episode: The Rejection Trap: Why getting cut in the final interview rounds is not a reflection of your talent or worth.Identity Shift: How to stop tying your personal identity to a specific job title.Personal Futures Exercise: A practical framework you can run on your own career to find your next step.The Hidden Job Market: How to read what the industry is quietly telling you (spoiler: it is not happening on LinkedIn).Defining True Success: Why you need to stop inheriting other people's goals and find your purest vision of success.
Gabriela leaves us with a powerful question: What is your absolute purest idea of success? We want to hear from you! Drop a comment below to share your take. If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe and share it with a friend who might need a confidence boost today.
Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact, title or no title!Be well,~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Introduction01:00 Background05:15 Navigating Layoffs10:45 Self-Worth16:45 Career Moves20:00 Rejection28:30 Visibility33:30 Mentoring40:45 Redefining Success45:15 Job Hunting51:15 Future Roles55:00 Final Thoughts --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- * LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/-gabrielasalinas/* Desiiiiign - https://www.desiiiiign.com/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle [4. FIND THE SHOW ON]* Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/261-youtube* Spotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/261-spotify* Apple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/261-apple* Snipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/261-snipd
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  Why Your Users Are About to Build Workarounds Around You / Mai-Ling Garcia / Episode #260 13.08.2026 1ч 1мин

  Are your customers tired of dealing with slow and broken systems? Discover what happens when everyday people start using powerful new tools to bypass your organization entirely.For years, companies and public institutions have delivered bad services simply because users had no other choice. Today, the tide is turning. Civic technology expert Mai-Ling Garcia (Johns Hopkins, city government) joins the show to explain how accessible tech is empowering citizens and customers to build their own solutions. If your organization refuses to adapt, your users will simply route around you.🎧 In This EpisodeThe End of Bad Service: Why organizations can no longer rely on a lack of alternatives to trap their customers.The Age of the Workaround: How cheap and powerful tech tools are letting communities bypass broken systems in a single afternoon.Frontlines of Public Innovation: Mai-Ling shares her firsthand experiences with empowered users in civic tech and healthcare.Humans in the Loop: Why human judgment and decision-making remain critical as AI accelerates our world.What is a service you are currently working around or wish you could bypass entirely? Drop a comment below to share your thoughts!Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact!Be well,~ Marc[ 1. GUIDE ]00:00 Introduction 03:00 Public Sector Role 05:00 The Empathy Trap 08:45 Real-World Backfire 16:45 Power & Decisions 21:00 Tech & Design 35:00 Citizen Workarounds 43:45 Automation Boundaries 56:15 Key Takeaways[ 2. LINKS ]LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mai-linggarcia/ Ling & Company - https://lingandcompany.com/Bold Public Works - https://boldpublicworks.com/[ 3. CIRCLE ]Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle [4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ ⁠https://go.servicedesignshow.com/260-youtube⁠ Spotify ~ ⁠https://go.servicedesignshow.com/260-spotify⁠ Apple ~ ⁠https://go.servicedesignshow.com/260-apple⁠ Snipd ~ ⁠https://go.servicedesignshow.com/260-snipd⁠
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  Why Mindless AI Is the Real Danger / Ovetta Sampson / Episode #259 30.07.2026 1ч 13мин

  Are you tired of the relentless AI marketing hype but know you can't afford to ignore it? Discover how to stop blindly applying AI and start mastering it as a malleable "design material" to build impactful, user-centered services .It’s time to stop buying into the stories big tech companies want us to believe about what Artificial Intelligence can and can’t do. Slapping AI mindlessly onto every project doesn't just create bad user experiences. It can do real harm.To set a better example for the service design industry, host Marc sits down with Ovetta Sampson. With a resume that includes Director of UX for Machine Learning at Google and AI design leadership roles at Microsoft and Capital One, Ovetta doesn't just talk theory. She runs Right AI to help teams adopt AI safely, responsibly, and effectively. In this conversation, she breaks down exactly how to understand AI's unique properties, navigate its limitations, and mold it into exactly what you need.In This Episode:The Design Material Mindset: How to stop fearing AI and start shaping it like clay to get the outcomes you want.Steering the Machine: Practical techniques for guiding generic LLMs to reliably produce high-quality, specific results.The Context Crisis: Why understanding your users' real-world context is about to become more important than ever before.When "Wrong" Becomes Dangerous: Why AI will always make mistakes, and how to identify the exact point where those errors become harmful.Breaking the Model: Why you need to start "messing around" and intentionally trying to break AI tools to build your own grounded mastery.If you found value in this episode, please hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you never miss a conversation. Share this episode with a fellow service designer who needs to hear this!As always, enjoy, and keep making a positive impact!~ Marc[ 1. GUIDE ]00:00 Intro and AI Sycophancy 03:15 Mindless vs. Mindful AI 06:45 Dangers of Automation Bias 10:00 The Humanizing Trap 17:45 Design as a Verb 24:30 Emergent AI Behavior 27:30 AI Confidence Levels 36:15 The Illusion of AI Memory 39:00 Principle 1 of Mindful AI 43:30 Library vs. Netflix Analogy 49:45 Designing for Failure 55:15 The Socio-Technical Challenge 01:01:45 Advice for Designers 01:06:00 Learning Resources 01:09:00 Redefining the Designer 01:11:15 Outro [ 2. LINKS ]LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ovettasampson/ MindfulAI Masterclass: https://www.ovetta-sampson.com/mindfulai-masterclass[ 3. CIRCLE ]Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle [4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/259-youtube Spotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/259-spotify Apple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/259-apple Snipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/259-snipd
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  How to Stay in the Room After the Yes / Journey Management Playbook S02E04 23.07.2026 57мин

  Want to secure executive buy-in? Stop waiting for a strategic brief from leadership, learn how to pitch solutions that solve your VP's biggest headache.Tired of doing incredible journey mapping work only to realize you still aren't invited to the room where important business decisions are made? In this episode of the Journey Management Playbook, Martin and I break down a highly specific, 5-slide pitch designed to get you a seat at the executive table. Learn how to stop being viewed as just the "journey maps person" and start navigating boardroom politics like a pro.📌 In This EpisodeWhy asking your VP what could get them fired is the ultimate shortcut to tapping into executive urgency.A tactical, step-by-step breakdown of how to write your own strategic brief and present a high-value proposition.How to handle heavy pushback from stakeholders and turn a painful "no" into meaningful progress.How to reposition customer experience (CX) from a minor workshop activity into a core business solution.We’ve put together an Objection Response Cheat Sheet with the most common pushbacks and ways you can navigate them. You can download it for free using the link in the show notes.Enjoy and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc[1. LINKS]Playbook Slides - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/-0sy8[ 2. GUIDE]00:00 Introduction05:30 Season Two Recap06:30 Insights vs. Decisions09:15 The Journey Manager11:15 Owner vs. Manager15:45 The First Week20:15 Finding the Owner25:45 Sophia's Story36:45 The Horizontal Role39:45 Monday Rhythm45:15 Executive's Monday46:45 Building Briefs51:15 Closing the Loop54:15 Season Wrap-Up[ 3. FIND THE SHOW ON ]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-12-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-12-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-12-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-12-snipd
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  Why the System Isn't Broken (and How to Change It Anyway) / Meghan Bausone / Episode #258 16.07.2026 1ч 2мин

  Are you tired of design feeling boxed in by limiting beliefs and endless support tickets? In this episode, we explore how to break free from the status quo and tackle meaningful, system-level challenges that actually change lives.There isn't a single service design professional who got into this industry to just solve support tickets all day. You got into this to make a positive impact. But what happens when the systems we operate in are designed to keep things exactly the way they are?To answer that, Marc sits down with Meghan Bausone, who recently earned her Doctor of Design degree. Drawing from her firsthand experience redesigning maternity care, Meghan shares actionable advice on how to find opportunities to experiment, overcome the frustrations of a rigid environment, and turn your desire to question everything into your greatest professional superpower.Being stuck in a system doesn't have to be paralyzing. It’s time to recognize the opportunities around you, or even better, create them yourself.🎧 In This EpisodeThe Reality of Modern Design: Why the industry feels boxed in and how to break free from the daily grind.Hacking the Status Quo: How to find opportunities to experiment in environments resistant to change.Designing Better Maternity Care: Meghan’s firsthand insights into navigating and improving systems that have been stuck for ages.Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: Recognizing our own mental roadblocks about what design is "supposed" to do.Question Everything: Why having the courage to be "annoying" or disruptive is actually a designer's ultimate superpower.If you want to find ways to work on challenges that truly matter, this conversation is for you! What is the biggest limiting belief you’ve had to overcome in your design career? Let us know in the comments!Don't forget to Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes that help you make a positive impact through design.Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc[ 1. GUIDE 📺 ]00:00 Welcome to episode 25800:00 Introduction 00:45 Megan's Background 03:30 Invisible Constraints 05:45 Path to UX Design 09:15 Maternal Health Crisis 12:00 Pursuing a Doctorate 14:15 Improving Systems 21:00 Embracing Biases 25:15 Localized Solutions 31:00 Questioning HCD 37:15 Leverage Points 41:45 Managerialism Ideology 49:45 Institutional Deserts 56:00 Practical First Steps 59:15 Final Reflection [ 2. LINKS 🔗 ]LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanbausone/[ 3. NEXT STEP 💪 ]Looking for more? We've got you covered.Click the link below to join the Service Design Show community.https://servicedesignshow.com/subscribe/ You'll get access to inspiring stories and practical advice that helps to level up your service design career![ 4. FIND THE SHOW ON ]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/258-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/258-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/258-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/258-snipd
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  Uncovering The Futures Blind Spot in Service Design / Lucy Kimbell / Episode #257 02.07.2026 1ч 3мин

  Are we actively designing our own future, or just everyone else's? 🔮 Discover how integrating "futures thinking" into your practice can help you spot industry shifts early and make better, more deliberate decisions today.It’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day grind of deadlines and deliverables. But if we don't think about the long-term role of design, we risk building a world we don't actually want to live in. In this episode, Marc sits down with Professor Lucy Kimbell—author of the upcoming book "Futures for Design"—to tackle a fascinating issue: the "futures blind spot." We explore why designers work tirelessly to shape the future of healthcare or education, yet rarely apply that same forward-thinking lens to our own profession. 🎧 In This EpisodeThe Futures Blind Spot: Why designers often fail to apply futures inquiry to their own professional practice.Strategic Uncertainties: Why studying what you don't know is far more valuable than trying to predict a perfect, clear picture of the future.Growing Your Futures Literacy: Practical, everyday ways to integrate futures thinking into your team's workflow without adding to the overwhelm.Spotting Weak Signals: How to identify early, quiet trends in the design industry before they evolve into dominant, disruptive forces.If you're ready to turn off autopilot and co-create the future of design with intention, hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!We also want to hear from you: If you had to pick one word to describe how you feel about the future of design, what would it be? Drop it in the comments or send us a message!As always, enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to episode 25700:00 Episode Introduction01:30 Breaking Design Autopilot02:30 Design is Political03:45 Designing on Autopilot06:15 Consequences of Financialization08:30 Surveillance Capitalism12:00 Next-Gen Design Pressures14:30 Futures for Design Book17:00 Oxford Scenarios Methodology21:00 Transactional vs Contextual30:30 Institutional Fragmentation32:45 Weak Signals in Design35:00 Uncertainties to Scenarios39:00 Scenario Planning vs Sci-Fi45:00 Lucy Kimball's Journey48:30 Limits of Speculative Design52:15 Value of Writing54:15 Present-Day Strategy56:45 Managing Macro Chaos1:00:45 The 10-Year Question01:02:30 Final Thoughts --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucykimbell/UAL web profile and links to publications - https://researchers.arts.ac.uk/1178-lucy-kimbellDesign in 2040 project with UAL graduates  - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrcI04iMvZHJNQxiytGv1yU_iVtNchee_&si=nU5nQp9dYYAXsSmdComing Soon: Futures for Design: Uncertainties, Scenarios, Implications by Lucy Kimbell (Book) --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/257-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/257-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/257-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/257-snipd
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  Practicing Service Design Jiu-Jitsu to Get Things Shipped / JonDelina & Gabriel / Inside SD Ep. #14 25.06.2026 58мин

  Tired of spending weeks on design strategy only to watch executives scrap two-thirds of your work? 📉 Discover how to drop your design ego, master the "politics" of implementation, and finally get your projects shipped. 🚀In this episode of Inside Service Design, Marc sits down with JD and Gabriel to tackle one of the most frustrating realities for designers: the translation gap. If you've ever felt like clinging to your design artifacts is actually preventing you from making a lasting impact, this conversation will change how you approach your next stakeholder meeting.In this episode, we will cover:Why your best work doesn't matter if the people in the room don't understand why it's important.Why giving stakeholders a "boring" spreadsheet is often the smartest move you can make to drive decisions.JD’s framework for compromising today while guiding your team toward your overarching north star tomorrow.How to successfully transition from focusing purely on your craft to mastering the political landscape of an organization.Where do you draw the line between practicing "design jiu-jitsu" to get something shipped, and compromising the core values of your craft? Let us know in the comments or tag us on social media!If you want to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, hit subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share this with a fellow designer who needs to hear it today.Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Inside Service Design EP 04:00 UX & Systems Thinking07:00 What is a Business Service Architect?09:15 Managing Strategy & Transformation11:15 Journey Frameworks15:00 Using AI for User Archetypes16:30 Mapping Internal Workflows20:00 In-House Practitioner Insights21:15 Design Values in an AI World24:00 Navigating Corporate Silos29:00 Empathizing with Stakeholders31:00 Proactive Conflict Management35:00 Design vs. Corporate Politics41:00 Why Research Fails Without Business Context43:00 Miro Boards vs. Excel Sheets44:15 Driving Value Through Deliverables46:45 Proving Your Team's Worth47:15 Design Jiu-Jitsu & The MVP52:00 When UX Becomes Just a Verb53:45 Defending Small Sample Sizes55:30 Video Gen in Service Design57:00 Wrap Up & Community Tool Prototype --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondelina-buckley-0631a9https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-leal-80604aa4/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-14-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-14-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-14-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-14-snipd
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  How to Escape the Service Design Efficiency Trap / Nan O'Sullivan / Episode #256 18.06.2026 59мин

  Over-optimized systems are quietly killing the human soul of our services by obsessing over speed and efficiency. In this episode, discover how to break free from the "efficiency trap," embrace design as a genuine practice of hope, and use localized indigenous wisdom to design with authentic care and deep community respect.🎙️ In this episodeThe relentless pursuit of transactional and industrialized models has pushed design to prioritize cost-cutting over real human value. In this episode, we sit down with Nan O'Sullivan, former head of the School of Design Innovation at Victoria University, to unpack how to actively push back against this pervasive efficiency trap. We move past standard problem-solving frameworks to explore the transformative power of Mātauranga Māori, positionality, and why designers must learn to look in the mirror before looking out the window to serve others.Here is what we cover:Why treating design like an industrialized assembly line always strips out authentic human care and community reciprocity.How shifting your baseline away from negative problem-solving and toward a practice of hope allows you to forecast a vision of true systemic joy.How to use your positionality as a design professional not to feed your own ego, but to actively enhance the mana (the dignity and respect) of the communities you serve.Why standing out as a distinct human is your ultimate superpower as automated cogs and AI take over routine transactional outputs.How focusing on localized, relational impacts protects incoming practitioners from paralyzing climate and societal anxiety.What is the most important source that helps to ground your design decisions? When the path forward is unclear, where do you look for clues? Let me know, I really do read and reply to all responses.As always, enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 25604:00 Practice of Hope06:15 Indigenous Knowledge09:15 Personal Values14:15 Humanity Over Automation17:00 Co-Design Responsibility19:30 Reflection and Reflexivity23:00 Core Curriculum27:00 Local Grounding33:00 Inward Research38:30 Workforce Evolution40:45 Corporate Accountability45:15 Professional Bravery47:15 Commercial Pressures53:00 Relational Frameworks55:00 Actionable Hope57:15 Wrap-up --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nan-o-sullivan-45709759/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/256-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/256-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/256-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/256-snipd
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  Selling Journey Management to Your VP / Journey Management Playbook S02E03 11.06.2026 1ч 6мин

  Want to secure executive buy-in? Stop waiting for a strategic brief from leadership, learn how to pitch solutions that solve your VP's biggest headache.Tired of doing incredible journey mapping work only to realize you still aren't invited to the room where important business decisions are made? In this episode of the Journey Management Playbook, Martin and I break down a highly specific, 5-slide pitch designed to get you a seat at the executive table. Learn how to stop being viewed as just the "journey maps person" and start navigating boardroom politics like a pro.in this episode Why asking your VP what could get them fired is the ultimate shortcut to tapping into executive urgency. A tactical, step-by-step breakdown of how to write your own strategic brief and present a high-value proposition.How to handle heavy pushback from stakeholders and turn a painful "no" into meaningful progress.How to reposition customer experience (CX) from a minor workshop activity into a core business solution.We’ve put together an Objection Response Cheat Sheet with the most common pushbacks and ways you can navigate them. You can download it for free using the link in the show notes.Enjoy and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc[1. LINKS 🔗 ]👉 Playbook Slides - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/-0sy8👉 Objection Response Cheat Sheet - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-11-objection-response-cheat-sheet-podcastThe Journey Management Playbook - https://www.theydo.com/resources/journey-management-playbook?utm_source=article&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=202605-Global-Marc[ 2. GUIDE 📺 ]00:00 Season 2 Recap02:00 Shifting Focus to Business Impact04:45 The CX Trust Gap Explained06:30 Breaking Out of the Workshop Box11:15 Creating a High-Value Proposition29:45 Repackaging for Time Constraints35:30 Surface vs. Root Cause Problems40:15 Aligning Strategy with Backlogs51:00 Re-evaluating Urgency55:30 Handling Objections & Silence57:00 Setting 90-Day Timelines1:00:00 Turbocharging Your Preparation1:02:45 Overcoming Presentation Rejection1:04:15 Wrap-Up--- [ 3. FIND THE SHOW ON ] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-11-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-11-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-11-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-11-snipd
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  How AI is Changing the Rules of Service Design / Pablo / Ep. #255 04.06.2026 1ч 10мин

  If building digital products becomes instant and free, what happens to the value of a service designer? Discover why traditional discovery is under attack and how to survive the impending "Design Winter." The rapid trajectory of AI development has completely shifted the rules of corporate problem-solving. In this episode, host Marc van Tijn sits down with academic coordinator Pablo Fernández Vallejo to unpack the deep structural changes hitting the design industry. They move past basic chatbot hype to look at the realities of autonomous AI agents, shifting organizational power dynamics, and why designers must quickly transition from "authors" to "editors" to stay relevant. Here is what we cover:Why corporate obsession with cheap, instant builds risks turning upfront design discovery into an operational roadblock. Why automating the messy, time-consuming parts of qualitative work might actually cause our core design muscles to atrophy. How autonomous AI agents are forcing us to redesign websites and platforms for machine consumption instead of human eyes. How to harden your service ecosystems before competitors or angry clients launch automated, voice-cloned agent swarms to overwhelm support desks. Why the future belongs to designers who can let go of the static deliverable and focus on continuous, systemic agility. On a scale of 1-10, how fluent do you feel with AI as a design material right now? Let me know, I really do read and reply to all responses.Enjoy and keep making a positive impact!~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 25503:45 AI Velocity08:45 Future Job Market13:30 Productive Friction19:15 Impact on Designers23:15 What happens to our value 28:30 How we combat corporate Proto Bros34:00 Where we anchor the "real" domain of design36:45 Impact on Services37:30 Autonomous Agents 42:15 Designing AX 47:45 Ecosystem Defense 50:15 Broken Journey Maps52:00 Impact on Organizations56:30 Authors vs Editors --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablofernandezvallejoWebsite - https://www.fernandezvallejo.com/Watch Part 1 of Pablo's Previous Interview on AI on Service Design - https://youtu.be/B142M6lhac8?si=uUKREkC1wztjUSYj --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/255-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/255-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/255-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/255-snipd
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  The Art of the "Sneaky" Service Designer / Inside Service Design / Max & Jennifer 28.05.2026 1ч 1мин

  What do you do when you want to drive human-centered change inside your organization, but you don't have the formal authority, you don't hold the budget, and you don't even have the official job title?To dive deeper into this strategy, I sat down with Max Seabrooke and Jennifer Kitchen.According to them, you stop asking for corporate permission and start getting a little bit sneaky. We step away from perfectly polished frameworks to look at the raw, political reality of practicing "undercover influence" from the inside out.In this episode, you will learn:How to quietly embed user-centric design into your organization without triggering corporate resistance or using confusing industry jargon.Why slowly building a toolkit of data on top of your company's existing expertise wins over skeptical executives.How to figure out exactly how other siloed teams measure their own success so you can align your project to their metrics.Why avoiding friction inside your team can quietly destroy project alignment and sabotage quality.So, if you want to hear raw, practical insights from professionals who are in the trenches every single day, you'll really like enjoy this one!I’m curious, if you don't have the official "Service Designer" title, what does your email signature currently say? Let me know.Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact.Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to the April Round Up 202603:45 Career Paths to Service Design 05:30 Titles vs Doing the Role 06:15 Modern Human-Centered Design 07:15 UX Design for Kids 09:15 Supply Chain Overhauls 12:15 The Human Side of Blueprints 13:15 Product Repair Operations 15:30 Strategic Sneakiness 18:15 Fixing Complex Mergers 21:00 Politics as Design Material 21:45 Corporate Political Survival 24:15 Active Listening & Handoffs 28:30 Eliminating Corporate Jargon 33:45 Operational Alignment 39:15 Dangers of Toxic Politeness 44:15 Confronting Hard Truths 50:00 Customer Belief Toolkit 54:15 Leadership Evidence Layers --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxseabrookehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-kitchen-studio --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [ 4. FIND THE SHOW ON ] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-13-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-13-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-13-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-13-snipd
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  What the Agentic Era Means for Service Design / John Ayers / Ep. #254 21.05.2026 1ч

  We are moving way past the point of just typing prompts into chat interfaces. We are entering the "agentic era," where a single person can deploy high-level AI agents who manage their own teams of digital workers underneath them.This shift is triggering a massive compression of skills, collapsing separate specialized roles into a single generalist function. If most service interactions shift to agent-to-agent communication, the human experience risks disappearing completely.In this episode, John Ayers joins Marc to explore how to help the "80% in the middle". The people who are curious but completely exhausted by the daily AI hype cycle. You'll learn how to take your existing mapping toolkit and adapt it to build "AI service blueprints," translating human personas directly into digital agents so we don't lose empathy.As you listen, think about John’s closing challenge: When the dust settles two years from now, what do you actually want your career to look like?Be well,~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 25401:00 Introducing John Ayers02:15 Reality vs AI Hype03:45 Lessons From Past Shifts07:15 Why AI is Different09:00 The Rapid Pace of AI11:30 The Shift to AI Agents13:15 Agent-to-Agent Decisions15:00 Building a Digital Workforce16:15 Domain Knowledge vs General AI18:00 Helping the Overwhelmed Majority26:00 Avoiding Fake AI29:15 The Governance Gap31:00 The New AI Giants34:00 Service Blueprinting for AI35:00 Anatomy of an AI Agent39:30 The Democratization Trap41:30 Human Skills vs Job Losses45:00 Stop Chasing Tech Tools46:30 Focus on Humans, Not Jargon51:45 Human Purpose in the AI Era54:30 Avoiding AI Burnout54:45 John’s Disruptor Confessions56:15 Asking the Hard Questions58:30 Wrap-Up and Community Call --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlayers/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/254-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/254-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/254-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/254-snipd
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  How to Shift CX from a Cost Center to a Strategic Asset / Journey Management Playbook S02E02 14.05.2026 1ч 5мин

  Does your "Master Journey Map" just sit in a digital drawer? You aren’t alone. In this episode, we dive into "Journey Theater"— the trap of performing progress without moving the needle on business outcomes.We’re moving beyond "mapping for mapping’s sake." Learn how to shift from being a service provider to a strategic partner by building a living system that survives the next re-org.Watch this episode to learn:Why your budget holder is your real customerThe warning signs of Journey TheaterHow to shift from project cycles to an operational modelUsing the Journey Maturity Scorecard to track growthJust like the rest of the Playbook, this episode is best consumed as a video because we walk through specific examples, like the Journey Maturity Scorecard, on screen. If you’re listening on the go, you can always grab the slide deck from the show notes to follow along.Enjoy and keep making a positive impact!~ Marc--- [1. LINKS 🔗 ] --- Playbook Slides - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/xo964Sign up for TheyDo - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/scjwb Journey Health Scorecard - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-10-journey-health-scorecard-podcastThe Journey Management Playbook - https://www.theydo.com/resources/journey-management-playbook?utm_source=article&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=202605-Global-Marc--- [ 2. GUIDE 📺 ] ---00:00 Welcome to Journey Management Playbook S2E203:45 Internal Customer 05:30 Decision Maker Needs 07:15 Budget Agenda 10:30 Impact Over Selling 13:15 Organizational Friction 16:15 The Journey Scope 19:15 Journey Theater 21:00 Reporting Progress Live 26:45 Breaking Project Cycles 30:45 Quantifying Wins 40:15 Decision Context 41:30 Continuous Insights 42:45 Common Language 44:00 Cross Vertical Impact 45:30 Eight Success Steps 46:45 AI Data Leverage 48:00 Delivery Authority 49:15 Proactive Influence 50:30 Impact Focus 51:45 Six Month Strategy 53:00 Revenue vs Cost 54:15 Agenda Alignment 56:45 Management Maturity 58:00 Scaling Momentum 1:00:45 Journey Health Score 1:04:30 Summary and Next Steps --- [ 3. FIND THE SHOW ON ] --- Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-10-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-10-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-10-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-10-snipd
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  Reclaiming Your Energy When Design Feels Like a Losing Battle / Sara / Ep. #253 07.05.2026 1ч 2мин

  Do you show up as an "A-student" constantly seeking the next gold star, only to feel personally attacked when your work is misunderstood? 🌟 In this episode, we tackle the "identity trap" in design and how to stay passionate without letting corporate exploitation drain your soulIn this episode, you'll learn:Why wrapping your personal value in professional output leads to burnout and frustration. How the constant need for "exceeds expectations" reviews can actually undermine your professional agency. Strategies to care deeply about your impact without letting it define your humanity. How to feel in control even when your leadership doesn't yet grasp the full value of what you bring to the tableOur guest: Sara Wachter-BoettcherSara is a vocal leader in the design community and the founder of Active Voice, where she has coached dozens of professionals through these exact challenges. She joins Marc to explore how to lean into conversations about value without feeling like you’re constantly pleading for your seat at the table.As you'll hear, Sara brings some "tough love" that helps you come out the other side more confident. It’s about learning to keep your side of the street clean, even when the organization around you feels messy. Enjoy and keep making a positive impact!Be well,~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 25303:30 The collective headspace of design today05:30 The impact of AI-related layoffs on design morale.08:15 Era of cheap money10:00 20-teens tech boom and its consequences15:00 The ROI trap and identity18:15 How shifting performance standards destabilize personal identity22:00 Breaking the spell of work identity24:45 Discomfort of realizing a job doesn't align with personal values33:00 Navigating organizational change38:45 Power mapping exercises44:45 Empathy for colleagues51:45 Concept of "humanizing" organizations to reduce isolation55:15 Radical act of clocking out57:00 Leadership without the ego59:15 Strategic patience in a crisis1:01:15 The value of the human behind the designer01:14:15 Question to ponder --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraboettcher --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/253-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/253-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/253-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/253-snipd
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  How to Thrive When Your Company Doesn't Get Service Design / Inside Service Design / Elle & Nick / Ep. #12 30.04.2026 58мин

  You look around the room and realize you’re the only one who cares about the customer. 😫 It’s exhausting to be the lone voice begging for user research while everyone else just wants to ship the next feature.In this episode, Elle Beaumont-Bilsby and Nick Gaff join the show to discuss the heavy lifting required to be an in-house service design practitioner. We move beyond "thick skin" and look at how to build a sustainable career in environments that don't fully understand design. You’ll learn:Why surviving as a lone wolf is impossible and how to locate "quiet allies" hidden in other departments.A practical framework for building resilience at an organizational, service, and personal level.How Elle and Nick practice high-impact design without having "Service Designer" on their business cards.Practical tips for staying sane and avoiding burnout when you are the only advocate for the user.How to find a support crew outside your organization to help you carry the weight.I'm curious, if you had to make a guess, how many people do you have around you inside your org that get it? 1, 5, 20... let me know.Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to the March Round Up01:45 Defining Resilience03:30 Service Design in Australia04:45 Elle’s Design Journey07:00 Nick’s Career Path09:00 Effects of Digitization11:00 Higher Ed Challenges12:30 Impact Over Tools14:00 The Resilient Self Season14:45 3 Altitudes Framework16:00 Organizational Resilience17:00 Resilient Service Design18:00 Personal Development19:15 Recharging and Self-Care20:00 Resilience as a Quality21:00 Individual Resilience Focus 24:15 Peer Support Systems 28:00 Navigating Corporate Culture 31:30 Vulnerability in Leadership 35:45 Building Internal Allies 39:00 Friday Afternoon Reflections 42:15 Success Beyond Metrics 45:30 Managing High-Stress Projects 49:00 Sustainable Innovation 52:15 Resilience as Design Criteria 56:45 Switching Off and Recharging --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellebeaumontbilsby/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngaff/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [ 4. FIND THE SHOW ON ] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-12-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-12-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-12-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-12-snipd
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  The Story Vacuum: Why User Research Isn’t Enough / Brian Whittaker / Ep. #252 23.04.2026 54мин

  Imagine making the cover of Time magazine...Okay, maybe not. Nobody gets into service design for the fame. Actually, as we’re always saying on the show, our best work is usually the stuff nobody notices.The spotlight stays on the CEOs. You rarely see the people in the trenches, the ones making sure the "faceless" public services we rely on actually work. Think about it for a moment, you can thank a mailman because he’s a human being standing on your porch in the rain. But when water is coming out of your faucet, there’s nobody to thank. It’s just "the system".That invisibility is exactly why people sometimes get hostile toward the government or big institutions. It's always "us versus them" because there’s no "them" to relate to.So our guest for this episode, Brian Whittaker, decided to change by starting a project called Humans of Public Service (HoPS).In this episode, we talk about the early days of the project and the weirdly difficult task of getting modest, quiet service design professionals to actually talk about themselves (on camera). He also shares hard won lessons on how he finally got the project to take off.It’s an inspiring conversation. It shows how much the vibe changes when you put a human face on a anonymous system. So if you’re trying to build empathy inside a big, messy organization, Brian’s blueprint really might just be what you need.While you’re listening, try to think of one "boring" story in your own org that deserves a spotlight. Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!Be well,~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 25203:45 Family Roots in Service05:00 Current US Service Challenges07:30 Private to Public Transition10:00 Modernizing Federal Tech11:00 Passion of Public Servants13:30 The Shift in 202014:15 Humans of Public Service15:45 Growing on LinkedIn17:00 Amplifying Unheard Voices18:15 Shifting the Narrative21:30 Bridging the Empathy Gap25:45 The Power of Recognition32:45 Institutional Design38:30- Scaling Human Connection44:55 The Future of Service51:15 Advice for Change-Makers53:30 Final Reflections --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwhtt/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/252-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/252-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/252-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/252-snipd
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  Why Bad CX is Your Greatest Leverage Point / Journey Management Playbook / S2E01 16.04.2026 1ч 15мин

  How do you get your boss to actually fund journey management? 💰We’ve all felt the frustration of making an impressive map that everyone "likes" but nobody actually uses. when that happens, our practice loses credibility. Season 2 of the Journey Management Playbook is here to fix that by focusing on the BUSINESS CASE.What we cover in this episodeWhy journey management is a strategic asset, not a "nice-to-have."how to calculate the actual cost of bad customer experience.shifting the conversation from "fluffy" CX metrics to boardroom metrics.getting stakeholders to embrace a journey-led way of working.Martin Palamarz is the chief customer officer at TheyDo. he spends his time helping global organizations scale their CX efforts and understands the language of executive decision-making.It’s best to watch the video version on Youtube to see the examples on screen, but you can also find the slide deck in the show notes below.--- [ 1. LINKS ] ---Playbook Slides - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/tq4e4CX Cost Calculator - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-09-cx-cost-calculator-podcastThe Journey Management Playbook - https://www.theydo.com/resources/journey-management-playbook--- [ 2. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Journey Management Playbook S2E0102:00 Martin's background04:30 Origin story of TheyDo06:45 Series overview: CX costs08:45 The CX Toolkit10:00 Bridging the gap13:45 Forrester research findings16:30 CX & business performance19:30 The Norway story23:00 Boardroom metrics30:45 The Cost of Bad CX38:30 High-value journey steps40:30 Drop Off Rate Explained42:30 "Nice-to-have" trap48:15 Service design & revenue50:00 Starting small52:15 Mckinsey research57:30 AI for customer data1:00:00 3-minute executive reports1:01:30 Ticket value & variables1:08:30 Bad CX VS. CX Investment1:12:00 Building momentum1:14:00 the final challenge--- [ 3. FIND THE SHOW ON ] --- Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-09-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-09-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-09-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/journey-management-playbook-09-snipd
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  Why "Being Human" is Your Only Future-Proof Skill / Nav Qirti / Episode #251 09.04.2026 1ч 10мин

  Our brains were not designed for this pace... Just think about it. For thousands of years, humans had ages to adapt to new technology. When we discovered fire or the steam engine, we had generations to figure out the implications.Today, things are shifting so fast that trying to keep up by just "learning more stuff" feels biologically impossible. At least to me 🤣It’s like you’re trying to run 2026 apps on the operating system of a legendary—but limited—Nokia 3310 phone.So, for this episode, I sat down with Nav Qirti from the School of Metaskills to talk about why we’re looking at the "skills gap" all wrong.Nav argues that we should stop chasing "functional skills" (which have a very short shelf life anyway) and focus on the things technology can't touch: judgment, curiosity, and reasoning.We also dive into why you can’t just read a book to get better at empathy or judgment. Nav explains that you need a "proxy environment" to train those muscles. Most professionals I know practice by just following a script, but Nav shows us how to build the mental strength behind the craft.This conversation offers an optimistic path forward by focusing on the core human abilities that technology simply cannot replace.Which of your "mental muscles" feels a bit weak lately? If you’ve got a moment, leave a comment below and let me know. I’d love to hear what a "workout" would actually look like for you 🙂Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact.Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 25104:00 The Falling Behind Puzzle05:30 6Adapting to AI08:15 Seeing what matters10:15 Obsolete hard skills12:30 Outdated learning models15:00 The 90/10 Imbalance16:45 Bucketing Skills17:15 Communication as a base19:00 Human survival traits21:15 Building capacity25:45 Expertise vs. scripts29:15 Measuring the wrong things37:30 Leadership and meta-skills39:45 The shift from "doing" to "leading"42:15 Why technical expertise has a ceiling45:00 Identifying your personal meta-skill gaps48:15 Low-stakes practice50:00 Defining Proxy Environments51:30 How to practice judgment daily55:15 Building empathy without the pressure58:15 Anxiety to Control59:00 Reframing the AI threat1:01:00 Focusing on the human operating system1:02:15 Regaining professional confidence1:02:30 Closing thoughts --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/navqirti/www.navqirti.comwww.metaskills.globalSkills to make us future ready & future relevant --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/251-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/251-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/251-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/251-snipd