#98: Building High Performance UX Teams with Sudha Browslawsky

In this episode of the Samelogic podcast, host Dwayne Samuels sits down with Sudha Broslawsky to unpack the challenges and opportunities in building strong UX teams. The conversation reveals important insights about modern hiring practices, leadership development, and the evolution of UX team building.

Rethinking Traditional Hiring Practices

One of the most striking moments in the conversation comes when Sudha challenges the industry-standard practice of design exercises. "Design doesn't happen in a vacuum," she explains, highlighting how traditional take-home exercises can create inequity in the hiring process.

She presents a compelling example: consider two candidates – a young professional with minimal responsibilities versus a single parent juggling multiple commitments. The same four-hour design exercise creates an inherently uneven playing field, potentially excluding talented individuals due to life circumstances rather than ability.

A More Inclusive Approach to Assessment

Instead of traditional take-home exercises, Sudha advocates for collaborative assessment methods:

• Real-time whiteboarding sessions with cross-functional teams

• Observation of collaboration and conflict management skills

• Focus on how candidates build upon others' ideas

• Assessment of communication and leadership potential in action

Nurturing Leadership Talent

The conversation reveals several key strategies for developing leadership talent within UX teams:

1. Active Observation

   • Watch how team members show up for others

   • Notice who identifies system gaps and proposes solutions

   • Pay attention to initiative-takers

2. Strategic Investment

   • Provide learning and development budgets

   • Create opportunities for cross-functional exposure

   • Enable mentorship and coaching relationships

3. Visibility Creation

   • Connect team members with broader organizational opportunities

   • Help individuals recognize their own strengths

   • Create platforms for leadership practice

Essential Skills for UX Leaders

Sudha emphasizes several crucial qualities for UX leadership:

• Deep empathy for users and team members

• Ability to think beyond UX silos

• Skill in translating user insights into business value

• Capacity to influence cross-functional partners

The Power of Different Perspectives

Perhaps most importantly, Sudha shares a personal insight about turning perceived weaknesses into strengths. "Being different is not a bad thing," she reflects, describing how her unique perspective became a leadership superpower, enabling her to:

• Build distinctive teams

• Influence organizational change

• Create innovative product solutions

• Foster stronger cross-functional partnerships

As organizations continue to evolve their approach to UX leadership and team building, Sudha's insights provide a valuable framework for creating more inclusive, effective, and dynamic teams. Her emphasis on human-centered hiring practices and leadership development aligns perfectly with the broader goals of user experience design itself – creating systems that work for everyone.

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