Operating with Purpose
Summary
Our teams are living through unprecedented times. With the weight of everything unfolding around us, it’s easy to feel that our work is inconsequential. However, DesignOps teams have more power to influence change than we realize. In this session, we’ll discuss how the small decisions we make every day impact our teams, our companies and our communities. We’ll take a look at how our operations can empower teams to operate with a greater sense of purpose.
Key Insights
-
•
Onboarding 80% of MailChimp’s CX and design department over four weeks creates a strong cultural foundation.
-
•
A clear sense of purpose significantly improves work engagement and personal well-being.
-
•
Purpose-driven messaging encourages better habits, such as hospital workers improving hand hygiene.
-
•
Mentorship during onboarding benefits both new hires and mentors by reigniting passion for work.
-
•
Remote work exacerbates loneliness, making intentional one-on-one connections vital for team health.
-
•
Tailored microlearning and flexible scheduling help employees continue growing without added stress.
-
•
Work-life boundaries are essential for mental health, especially when working from home.
-
•
Celebrating efforts, not only successes, fosters persistence and connection among teammates.
-
•
Managers setting examples by openly prioritizing mental health encourages healthier team environments.
-
•
Understanding teammates’ personal and career goals helps align individual purpose with company objectives.
Notable Quotes
"I’ve onboarded 80% of the design and CX department, and it really shapes their trajectory and connection to culture."
"When you feel your work connects to a greater purpose, you’re more invested and perform better."
"Hospital workers were 45% more likely to wash hands properly when told it helped patients rather than themselves."
"Mentoring new hires actually reignites the mentor’s own passion for their work."
"My manager says never ask me to take a day off, just tell me — it’s a huge cultural shift."
"Onboarding isn’t a one-time activity, it’s an ongoing event that helps people connect and find their place."
"People coming from agencies sometimes need help dropping bad habits like working at 2am or stressful environments."
"It’s important to create space outside work for people to connect to meaningful activities and communities."
"Celebrating efforts, even when they’re not wins, helps people keep moving forward."
"If your purpose is just getting through 2020, that’s okay — survival can be the goal right now."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If a dialog pops up but the keyboard focus isn’t moved into it, a screen reader user might not know it’s there."
Sam ProulxEverything You Ever Wanted to Know About Screen Readers
June 11, 2021
"If you want to avoid time zone confusion, you can switch the conference schedule to your local time on the program page."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 17, 2022
"Build relationships before you need them. You can’t create them when the house is on fire."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"The purpose of a system is what it does—so you can measure an enterprise by its outcomes, not just by its slogans or strategy documents."
Milan GuentherA Shared Language for Co-Creating Ambitious Endeavours
June 6, 2023
"We’re starting to see the role of the central researcher shift more towards coaching than just doing research themselves."
Erin May Roberta Dombrowski Laura Oxenfeld Brooke HintonDistributed, Democratized, Decentralized: Finding a Research Model to Support Your Org
March 10, 2022
"Getting accessibility integrated into all company processes is essential because accessibility is a culture change."
Sam ProulxUnderstanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
June 6, 2023
"In this context, sometimes slower is actually faster because it allows going deeper and unlocking more meaningful insights."
Mujtaba HameedThe new horizon of ethnography: using AI to unlock the full potential of in-person research
March 11, 2026
"Technology generates as many new problems as new solutions."
Ilana LipsettAnticipating Risk, Regulating Tech: A Playbook for Ethical Technology Governance
December 10, 2021
"Designing for the average means designing for nobody."
Samuel ProulxFrom Standards to Innovation: Why Inclusive Design Wins
September 10, 2025
