I used to leave design presentations with a stack of changes and a heavy heart. Over 20 points to revise was normal. Most of the feedback wasn't from users; it was subjective opinions from stakeholders. Nothing felt anchored. I'd rush through the screens, hoping the room wouldn't ask hard questions. Then I learned to stop just showing screens and start telling the story behind them. The result was immediate: clearer conversations, fewer rounds of rework, faster buy-in, and designs that actually reflected user needs.
In an uncertain economy, many organizations are looking to reduce costs. If you're seen as nothing but a cost with little benefit, your team may be on the chopping block. So if executive whims are throwing you around, don't just learn to follow orders or question them to the point of being seen as a roadblock. Learn to get executives to realize that what they're proposing is a bad idea on their own.