Before You Present to Management, Draft Your Strategy

In the last lesson, I said we’d be talking next about how to present your ideas to management. But, jumping into that too soon could actually backfire.

If you go to leadership now with nothing but frustrations and vague intentions, it’s likely to come across as a complaint. And that’s not what you’re aiming for. You're not there to moan about the state of UX in your organization. You're there to show leadership. To demonstrate vision. And to earn their trust.

That’s why, before we move on to stakeholder conversations, we need to step back and put together a draft UX strategy.

I’m calling it a draft for a reason. This isn’t a final plan. You don’t need to have every detail nailed down yet. In fact, you shouldn’t.

You’ll be far more successful if you involve others in shaping the strategy with you. If you present something that’s 100 percent locked in, people are more likely to push back. Not because the plan is wrong, but because they feel excluded from it.

On the other hand, a draft invites collaboration. It shows initiative without being presumptuous. It says: “Here’s what I’m thinking, but I’d love your help refining it.”

And that’s the mindset we want to take into these early conversations with management.

Why Now Is the Right Time for Strategy Work

Over the last few lessons, you’ve been quietly building toward this. You’ve audited your current role, taken stock of your resources, and thought through where you already have influence. You’ve probably also started identifying which organizational goals UX could support.

Now it’s time to bring all of that together.

A strategy isn’t just a roadmap. It’s not a shopping list of new tools or a wish list for more staff. And it’s definitely not a list of complaints.

A good UX strategy does three things:

• It explains why change is needed by highlighting real challenges and opportunities
• It defines principles and priorities that guide UX efforts across the organization
• It outlines practical tactics for making progress with the resources you already have

That’s what we’re going to build.

You might be wondering, “Why bother drafting a UX strategy if I don’t have a boss to present it to?”

It’s a fair question. But the value of a strategy doesn’t disappear just because you work for yourself. In fact, it might be even more important.

A strategy gives you clarity. It helps you decide what kind of work you want to do, who you want to work with, and how you’ll position yourself. It stops you from just reacting to client requests and starts putting you in a more proactive, consultative role.

Maybe you’re tired of being handed poor wireframes and asked to “make it look good.” Maybe you’d rather help clients define their goals, shape better experiences, and have a real impact on outcomes. If that’s the case, then a strategy helps you frame that shift, both for yourself and for your clients.

It also becomes a powerful sales tool. When a prospect says, “We’re thinking of redesigning our website,” you don’t just say “Great, let’s get started.” You can say, “Here’s how I typically approach UX projects, and why that delivers better results.” Suddenly, you’re not just a supplier. You’re a strategic partner.

So even if there’s no internal stakeholder to share it with, a clear UX strategy helps you steer your business, strengthen your pitch, and attract the right kinds of clients.

What Not to Include in Your Draft Strategy

Let’s begin with a few common pitfalls. These are things I see in struggling strategy documents again and again.

Don’t include project plans or timelines

The goal here isn’t to map out every task for the next year. That approach makes your strategy rigid and quickly outdated. Instead, you want a strategy that can flex with shifting priorities. One that defines how UX operates, not just what it delivers.

Don’t lead with requests for more resources

At this stage, avoid asking for extra staff, tools, or budget. Most managers spend their lives fielding those kinds of requests. You want to stand out by showing what you can do with what’s already available. That makes it much easier to have resource conversations later — when you’ve proven value and built credibility.

Don’t just list broad goals

It’s tempting to include statements like “improve usability” or “reduce friction.” But on their own, these are too vague. A strategy needs to explain not just what you want to achieve, but how you plan to get there, and why it matters to the business.

What a Good UX Strategy Includes

Let’s walk through the key elements your draft strategy should include. Think of these as building blocks; you don’t need to get them p