TLDR: Part 1: The Problem Digital product managers solve human problems. And usually, the biggest problem they are solving is how to give birth to an idea, not the idea itself. In other words, how can we move a new product development through the sausage factory that is my company so it comes out looking, smelling, tasting, feeling, and sounding like the thing we envisioned it would be? The only.. Read More
Are We a Digital Business Yet?
“Rhythm – a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound.” Oxford English Dictionary We all live by rhythms in our lives. I don’t mean musical rhythms, but patterns that give our life order and predictability. Like the tides that come in and out, or the sun that rises every morning, we have certain “givens” in our lives that define our routines. Every organisation has a rhythm – a series of recurring events built.. Read More
When workshops can be an effective tool
I promised to give my tips on how to bring out the best in teams with diverse styles. That is probably a book, not just a blog post. But I’ll start with effective workshops. I’ve been in many poorly-run ones that leave all feeling like it was a waste of time. But I’ve learned from a few people, in particular Miles Hanson, at the Collaboration Company, how to run workshops that make.. Read More
I vs We: Accepting Communication Styles
“For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a language of rapport: a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships…For most men, talk is primarily a means to preserve independence and negotiate and maintain status in a hierarchical social order.” Deborah Tannen, You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation. I’m a woman. It is easy for me to say “we.” I was raised with two sisters and.. Read More
Dictator vs Diplomat: Leadership Styles
“Steve Jobs was a dictator and look what he created,” so goes the argument in favour of Product Manager as dictator. But that argument disregards a few facts: Steve Jobs ran the company, he wasn’t the product guy. He was the founder, owner and chief executive. He had the power and authority to make bold moves without too much questioning from his staff. Jobs was the exception to the rule… Read More
The New Thing called “Product”: Digital Product in Context
A recruiter told me yesterday that “there is this new thing called Product that everyone is hungry for.” I didn’t bother to correct him by pointing out that this “new thing” called “Product” has actually been around for centuries, it just had different guises. In the manufacturing world, it is the industrial designer; in the property world, it is the architect; in the print media world, it is the editor. Each of these roles.. Read More