PITA 023
ICEBREAKER: what team do you want to be a part of and why? (Ocean’s 11, Sailor Moon, Autobots, Buffy’s Scooby Gang, etc.)
TOPIC 1: How do you approach changing the mindset of new folk who have been very used to more command-and-control work to autonomous cross-functional work?
Pitch the change as an experiment, a step change
Meet them halfway - or at least accommodate a bit
Lunchtime brown-bag product talks
Turn the Ship Around - although better for leaders than general staff sometimes. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzJL8zX3EVk
Demonstrate the cost of decisions
As a recent newbie to my own org, it might be they are seeking reassurance and will get more independent with feedback
Ask them, what do you think we should do?
It’s quite weird that they aren’t adapting to the team culture if the culture is quite well established. Maybe a problem of joining a team remotely
TOPIC 2: What methods of research do you use to learn and understand where your stakeholders are when it comes to digital and data competencies when it comes to transformation? At scale?
Establish what DIGITAL means
Try a quiz/game to see where they are - how often do you look at a KPI dashboard, etc?
Champions and Ambassadors network
Understand the current state of roles and processes. Partner with HR on this?
Run talks, see who shows up, and pitch them!
Focus on the problem that this is intended to solve - make sure people agree that this is a priority and that this is the right way to solve it
TOPIC 3: What makes someone ready/not ready for a more senior product role? (e.g. Product lead/Head of Product)
Melissa Perri, Escaping the Build Trap and The Product of You (talk)
Christina Wodtke, The Team that Managed Itself
Make sure you want that role - less direct control, more working through people
I’m in a similar position and what’s on my mind is ‘am I good enough, what will be expected of me, will my experience be considered deep enough’ - really hard to tell if you’re at the right level without going through the interview process I guess
A good sign - being able to push decision making down to people closer to the problem
TOPIC 4: How do you get product managers to talk to each other and align visions?
The Head of Product (or equivalent) must block out time to make sure that this happens
maybe show how this impacts the customer experience
Identify the problems that came as a result of lack of alignment, and then make the case to senior leadership
Lock them in a room and don’t let them out until it’s fixed
People over processes
people need to be motivated to change… what’s in it for them?
Sounds like you would need a “design system” for product decisions/operating
Alignment x autonomy: https://miro.medium.com/max/650/1*3PQHnnpNKsVAJhNts_GhPQ.png
Retrospectives between PMs & EngMs (& who ever feels affected) could make perceptions visible!
Auftragsklärung Product Alignment framework
