Social Dynamics with Yakira Mirabito (A Chat with Cross-Functional Experts)

Dianna Deeney interviews Yakira Mirabito about social dynamics within engineering and how it affects decision making. The episode focuses on improving design reviews and making them more inclusive.

Yakira explains how things like personalities and power dynamics can really affect decisions made by design teams. She gives advice to engineers on how to prepare for these reviews, such as how to give presentations effectively and encourage helpful feedback from team members. She also highlights useful tools, like the “Identity Wheel,” to help people understand each other’s backgrounds and avoid biases when making decisions. The episode is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve teamwork and create better products!

This interview is part of our series, “A Chat with Cross Functional Experts”. Our focus is speaking with people that are typically part of a cross-functional team within engineering projects. We discuss their viewpoints and perspectives regarding new products, the values they bring to new product development, and how they’re involved and work with product design engineering teammates.

About Yakira

Yakira Mirabito is a postdoctoral researcher at MIT whose work falls within design theory and engineering management. Her research examines how sociotechnical factors influence design decisions using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Her research interests include design behavior, cognitive biases, and social dynamics within engineering contexts. Yakira’s work enhances current design methods and tools, empowering engineers to build more innovative and equitable systems. She received her BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and her MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Yakira and Dianna talk about

how social dynamics, cognitive biases, and power structures can influence engineering design reviews and decision-making processes.
recommendations for improving design review meetings through clear communication, inclusive facilitation techniques, and a focus on giving and receiving constructive feedback.
the need for engineers to develop self-awareness, particularly regarding their own biases and how their identities shape their interactions within teams.
how to effectively navigate feedback, especially from superiors, and the importance of justifying design decisions using evidence, requirements, and user needs.
the importance of democratic and inclusive design processes that value the diverse perspectives of all team members, including end users, and recognize the influence of power dynamics.

Yakira’s suggestions involve awareness and evaluating our decision making, including stopping to consider if the feedback we want to accept really links back to the objective results of our projects.

What can you do today?

Next Steps for Engineers to Improve Design Review Dynamics

Hone communication skills: Practice communicating design decisions clearly and concisely. Provide justifications rooted in objective evidence, such as test data, product requirements, and user needs. Be prepared to explain your reasoning for accepting or rejecting specific feedback, especially when that feedback comes from someone in a position of authority.
Be mindful of power dynamics: Pay attention to how hierarchy and status might be affecting communication and decision-making in design reviews. Consider how your own position within the team might influence your interactions with others and strive to create an environment where everyone’s voice is heard and valued.
Increase self-awareness: Use the Identity Wheel or similar tools to reflect on your own identity, privileges, and potential biases, and consider how these factors might be influencing your interactions in design reviews and your approach to feedback.