Dueling Principles

People sometimes confuse direction with dictation, both as an IC and a manager. One technique I often use is dueling principles. They are delivered two at a time and are contradictory. I ask the individual to use practical wisdom and judgment to make the final decision using the principles as guides. Here some examples I have used recently (in no particular order):

Work Principles

#	On the one hand…	On the other hand…
1	When possible, promote from within rather than bring in external leadership.	Don’t put people in a position if they can’t handle it.
2	Each person is responsible for their own work-life balance. Push back when you can’t work any more/harder.	Sometimes, we need to go above and beyond to achieve a short term goal.
3	Always manage expectations. Under-promise and over-deliver.	Don’t be so conservative with your estimates, that you kill the project and mislead leadership.
4	Be proactive. Try things. See if they work. If they don’t you learn, fix, and move forward.	Don’t make choices that lock you into a bad path in the future
5	Designers are responsible for the end-user experience, not PM or Eng.	We are collaborative and pragmatic. We will work with different parties to find the best solution given the constraints.
6	Be pragmatic. The best UX is not always the right solution.	Inspire. It’s our job to imagine a better way to do things and convince people.
7	Show your video in Zoom. We are all humans who crave connection.	Unless you can’t

Design Principles

#	On the one hand	On the other hand
1	Easter eggs and fun are awesome!	Don’t make it a circus. Stay classy San Diego.
2	Consistency is more important than usability	Usability is important!
3	Things should be as simple as possible.	But not simpler. (Don’t overcomplicate, but include enough to make it work)
4	Great products are customizable	But use sensible defaults

There are many more, but I advise you to come up with your own list. Maintain a set of principles that help guide you. The point is that you can have too much or too little of anything. Balance is the key to a good life, a good product, and a good career.

If you have an interesting dueling principles, I would be eager to here it in the comments.