Most senior design leaders leave. This one stayed past the two-year mark, and the difference was structural.
The company gave design a seat, a budget, and a number to own before the hire was made. The role had a floor to stand on from day one.
What the company did
An executive sponsor, a measurement baseline, and a mandate written into the operating plan. None of it was expensive. All of it was rare.
I stayed because the job was real. The title was the least of it.
What other companies can copy
Build the seat before the hire. If the seat cannot be built yet, contract the leadership until it can.
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