The last dance: What design teams can learn from Michael Jordan
Emanate greatness through teamwork, relentlessness in the face of failure, and drawing inspiration from other industries.
Six NBA championships, six Finals MVP trophies, five MVP awards, fourteen All-Star Game selections, ten-time scoring champion, nine-time Defensive First Team, two Olympic gold medals, two inductions into the Basketball Hall of Fame…The list of Michael Jordan’s accolades feels endless. Many consider him to be the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in all of modern athletics. Thus it’s no surprise that the sports world erupted in joy upon the announcement of The Last Dance: a 10-part documentary series that delves deep into the dynasty Jordan built leading the Chicago Bulls. It became an immediate hit, overtaking Tiger King as the most-watched documentary in the world after the release of just four episodes.
The Last Dance might feature Michael Jordan and basketball, but from the vignettes shared throughout the series, we experience tales of teamwork, innovation, empathy, and a relentless hunger for greatness. Many of these principles apply to UX too; let’s explore how they can supercharge our results.
Design is still a team sport (even with a superstar)
Despite the Chicago Bulls having arguably the greatest basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan, the series frequently highlights the prowess of teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, as well as the impact of coach Phil Jackson as key factors to the team’s success. When the team relied too heavily on their superstar, they lost. This was most evident when the Chicago Bulls played the Detroit Pistons in the 1988, 1989, and 1990 playoffs and lost every year. Why? A defensive strategy the Pistons coined the “Jordan Rules” focused at shutting down the star.
As the State of UX in 2020 report proclaimed, “the old stereotype of the ‘rockstar designer’ is (thankfully going away).” Replacing this paradigm is the framework that “design is a team sport [where] we win when we work together.” The story of the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty reinforces this notion; just as relying too heavily on one player can lead to losses, over-reliance on a specific design team member can lead to failure when they become sick, are transferred to a different team, or leave the company. Instead, let’s draw inspiration from when the Chicago Bulls played without Michael Jordan but still experienced success because they were “beating teams by committee, learning to play together, share the ball, and win together.”
Fuel a relentlessness competitive fire in yourself and for your team
“To be able to play against the best competition, that was the best driving force for me without a doubt.” Michael Jordan
Jordan’s “win at any cost” mentality is a frequent subject of discussion among his former teammates and coaches. He stated that “[I] never asked [them] to do anything [I] wouldn’t do…If you can’t handle pressure from me, you won’t be able to handle the pressure of the NBA Playoffs…I wanted to win but I wanted [my team] to win…as well.” As reflected in their accolades, this paradigm had a positive impact on the team’s performance. Former teammate Bill Wennington said that “[Michael] pushed us all to be better..and it worked.” At the same time, ex-teammate Scott Burnell said “we all know he’s tenacious on the court… you can relax around him off the court.”
While we might not want to exude the same intensity that Jordan displayed on the court, research has documented competition’s positive effects on our brain, motivation, and productivity — frequently leading to innovation and accelerated results. The key is to keep the competitions healthy and to maintain a collaborative culture. First off, we know that great designers lead by example. Think about how your behavior might serve as a model for your teammates. For example, what are things you can say and do to embody commitment, determination, and inspiration? With regards to structuring friendly, impactful competition, remember to…
- Offer individual rewards to those who succeed rather than using the traditional winners and losers model, which can lead to feelings of resentment, fear, or shame.
- Pair up competitors who are similar in skill level to activate the rival effect which motivates us to improve our performances.
- Provide resources that setup participants to succeed: workshops, classes, tutorials, and mentorship.
- Keep it simple: remember that too much competition can be toxic and build in just enough of it to foster original and innovative ideas, as well as increase motivation.
Innovate remarkable outcomes by observing other fields
Off the court, Jordan became synonymous with pop culture and grew very wealthy through his Air Jordan apparel brand, which is owned by Nike. When the brand first launched, Nike set a sales goal of $3 million over the first three years. It made $126 million in the first year alone. David Falk, Jordan’s agent, deserves much credit for this success; at the time Falk also managed tennis clients, and applied the sponsorship model where an individual sport athlete has an apparel line to Jordan — even though he played a team sport.
This anecdote illustrates the Harvard Business Review’s concept that “sometimes the best ideas come from outside your industry.” In their studies of innovation, they’ve found that involving thinkers and ideas from analogous fields can result in breakthrough innovations. The solutions tend to be unique because those thinking of them are not constrained by existing solutions and bring a unique perspective to the problem-solving process. As UX professionals, what analogous fields might we find inspiration in? Perhaps it’s through watching Netflix programs such as Abstract: the Art of Design and learning from fields like costume design. We can also draw inspiration from the user experience of vintage food/beverage packaging and print manuals.
Embracing failure to build your dynasty
As the above commercial illustrates, Michael Jordan missed over 9,000 shots, lost 300 games, and failed to make 26 game-winning shots. But he “failed over and over and over again in [his] life. And that’s why [he] succeeds.” We can cultivate top-performing, innovative design teams through nurturing a culture of teamwork, a relentless commitment to high standards, and seeking inspiration — even in the face of failure.
