Service Design Show5 Jun 2025

Why Your Best Work Goes Unnoticed (and What to Do About It) / Kat Thackray /Ep 229

Ever feel like your most crucial work goes unnoticed? Just like the essential "cooling fluid" of a car, much of service design's impact—making teams efficient and processes smooth—operates in the background. But when it's missing, chaos erupts.

In this episode, our guest Kat Thackray dive into the invisible, yet vital, work that drives true change in service design. We'll explore why this intangible effort is often overlooked, what it actually looks like in practice, and actionable ways to gain the recognition and resources you deserve.

If you're tired of your crucial contributions being taken for granted, this episode is your roadmap to getting that unseen work finally recognized.

Enjoy the conversation, and keep making that positive, even if sometimes invisible, impact!

~ Marc

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 229

04:15 Who is Kat Thackray

05:00 The Consultant's Dilemma

07:45 Kat's "Aha!" Moment: Prioritizing People

10:30 Painful Status Quo of Teamwork

15:00 Why Organizations Overlook "Soft Skills"

19:00 How COVID-19 Shifted Design Focus

21:00 Bridging Strategy & Delivery

26:30 The Need for Team Coaches

29:00 The "Ted Lasso" Effect

32:00 Expanding the Designer's Toolkit

34:45 Jack of All Trades vs Specialized Expert

35:45 Unpacking the "Golden Thread" of Collaboration

40:45 Practical Steps for Healthier Team Dynamics

43:45 Navigating Tricky Power Dynamics

47:45 Recognizing Team Vulnerabilities

51:15 The New Skills Emerging in Design

51:45 Empowering Your Team Members

53:45 Connect & Learn More: Resources

55:15 Kat's Final Advice for Designers

57:15 A Question to Ponder

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

--- [ 3. FIND THE SHOW ON ] ---

YouTube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/229-youtube
Apple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/229-apple
Snipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/229-snipd
Other (RSS) ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/229-other

--- [ 4. CIRCLE ] ---

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.

⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle

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