#50 - To Manage or Not to Manage? UX Research Careers with Amber Davis, UXR Director at Audible

It's time to take the next step in your research career, but is management right for you? Erin & JH chatted with Amber Davis, UXR Director at Audible, about her journey as a research manager, how to evaluate what you really want from your career, and who to talk to when you're ready to level up. Highlights[5:03] Even if you think you don't have management experience to look back on, research is full of management and leadership.[8:17] Being a manager gives you many more opportunities to contribute at the strategic level. [12:00] Straying too far from day-to-day operations can make being a manager really tough, especially when you're managing researchers.[20:12] As a manager, being a coach is more important than telling people what to do.[23:12] You have to really connect with your direct reports and learn how to show up for them. Amber takes 10 minutes before every 1:1 to ensure she's grounded and there for that meeting.[34:21] Even though it's important to build good connections with your direct reports, make sure you keep enough distance socially so you can stay professional.