Compassionate Design Leadership: Honoring Endings and Nurturing Grief in the Workspace

In the world of design leadership, designers often form deep connections with their creations, making the endings of projects, particularly when designs don't go live or go live with significant changes, feel like a significant loss. As a death doula and user experience leader, I've learned the importance of honoring these connections, nurturing grief, and fostering resilience in the workspace.

Embracing Endings

Creating Rituals of Closure

Endings are an inevitable part of the design process, yet they are often overlooked or dismissed in the workplace. As leaders, it's essential to create rituals of closure that honor the end of projects and allow designers to acknowledge and process what they are feeling related to the project. Whether through team reflections, project retrospectives, and/or individual ceremonies, these rituals provide opportunities for closure and support designers in navigating the complex emotions that can arise at the end of a project.

Nurturing Grief

Providing Compassionate Support

Grief is a natural response to loss, and as leaders, it's crucial to provide compassionate support for designers experiencing grief in the workplace. By acknowledging the depth of their connections with their designs and offering empathetic guidance, we can help designers feel seen, heard, and valued in their experiences. Whether through open conversations, peer support networks, or access to grief resources, nurturing grief fosters resilience and emotional well-being among designers.

Honoring Connections

Recognizing the Value of Designers' Relationships with Their Work

Designers invest their passion, creativity, and energy into their projects, forming strong connections with their creations along the way. When designs don't go live or the designs that do go live are very different from the ideal user experience, it can feel like a significant loss, impacting their sense of identity and purpose. As leaders, it's important to honor these connections and recognize the value of designers' relationships with their work. By celebrating their contributions and validating their experiences, we empower designers to find meaning and purpose in their creative journey, even in the face of endings.

Building Bridges Through Compassionate Leadership

As design leaders, it's our responsibility to support designers through the highs and lows of their creative journey. By embracing endings, nurturing grief, and honoring connections, we create a workspace where empathy, resilience, and creativity thrive. Together, let's build bridges that support designers through their experiences of endings and grief, fostering a culture of compassion, understanding, and growth in the workplace.

Photo by Nick Abrams on Unsplash