The Importance of being Prepared!

There are a lot of key skills/traits that product managers (and for that matter any employee) need in order to succeed. That includes the obviously "hard" skills such as experience writing requirements, etc. and it includes the "soft" skills that often go unsaid but not unnoticed. I've coached/mentored/managed product managers (and am one myself!) and have started to create the framework/steps below as I look at my own development and goals. There are 4 steps in the evolution, but this blog post will only cover the first. You'll notice each step has a blue "summary" word that I use to help summarize the trait.

1. Preparedness - While this term doesn't need a formal definition it is really about having the discipline needed to hold yourself to a higher standard. For me it is about the willingness to set a high standard and submit your actions to that standard. It is a form of obedience/discipline to yourself.
• Meeting Preparedness - Learn and prepare for your meetings and work. Do not be lazy or "wing it". This lackadaisical attitude results in mediocrity and we have all seen what those meetings look like. You should be prepared and mindful of how prepared others are. In product management, there are many opinions and thoughts on what to do and where to invest. A prepared and organized mind can separate the the noise from the insight. Being prepared always brings clarity of thought and purpose. Don't go too overboard, as there is something to be said letting the conversation flow. Find that happy medium.
• Transition from reactive to proactive - How many times has someone had to scramble to get the executive request done? Creating a roadmap one night because of a request. Updating the competitive landscape slide urgently. It is a constant effort to stay one step ahead through anticipation and proper time allocation. There are two key issues that I have seen with product managers that constantly prevent them from being prepared. First is the anticipation. Spend the time it takes to anticipate the requests. Look at certain "boundaries" such as the end of the fiscal year, or the mid way point of the year. Perhaps every quarter or every release. If you are managing a product in production, perhaps looking at usage and feedback data on a monthly basis. Secondly, you have to carve out the time. Too many product managers are not balancing the tactical and strategic. They focus too much on the daily grind that they lose sight of the bigger picture and then they get being reactive.
• Managing your Manager - Many product managers don't spend the time to properly engage with their management. They sit through their 1on1s without a plan (more on that here). Learning to anticipate what they will need ahead of when they will need it, is key. For example, if you know there is a management offsite in two weeks, are you asking your manager about what they may need from you today so that you can prepare? Not only that, perhaps your manager is thinking about what they will need from you, so by asking the question you are making sure your manager is prepared. Your manager will appreciate your concern in making sure they are prepared and that they are putting their best foot forward. You are showing that you care about their success. You are forming a deeper and more meaningful relationship with them based on mutual success. Compare that with others who are not prepared for their 1on1s or just bring their managers problems. You are creating separation through being prepared.

Thoughts?/Feedback? - Being prepared means being proactive and mindful about it!

Setting up your company for success!

So I've been reading some articles here and there about what are the top things that CEOs do or need to do in order to lead their companies in the right direction. It is definitely food for thought so I decided to chime in! Here are my suggestions for the top 3 things that CEOs should focus on in order to best set up a company for success.

• Vision / Strategy - A great CEO should focus on ensure that the company has a strong vision and strategy in order to succeed. It can be too broad or too narrow. It has to be easily understood and easy to articulate. The "Vision" is a the company's purpose/goal. I've seen this somewhat overlap with a mission statement. The "Strategy" is the how behind that vision. For example, the airline company Southwest succeeds because of its low cost/high customer service strategy. They only fly 737s to lower maintenance costs and training costs. They only fly to less expensive airports (Midway vs. OHare)

• Allocation - For me allocation is about how does one allocate both the dollars and the people in order to achieve the strategy. It's about looking at each function in the organization and determining if you have the right talent and is the company enabling them to succeed. For alignment - I have thought of the analogy of a compass. If you take 10 people put them in a room with no windows and tell them to go north, it will be a mess of confusion! Now give them each a compass. All 10 will point in the same direction. A CEO needs to make sure that the corporate leadership is acting like a compass so that the company as a whole is well aligned. 

• Goal Alignment - CEOs are ultimately responsible for serving employees, shareholders, and customers. They should focus on standard operating mechanisms and metrics and managing the team against those goals. There needs to be a true sense of ownership across every single goal/metric across the business unit. It can't be "that's a marketing metric", "that's a sales metric". EVERY single person on the team needs to contribute and own the outcome and objective. Also, a CEO will need to ask the right questions and ensure that their team is communicating across functions and there is depth of thought. There are times when comments are made in a meeting that are presented as facts when they are beliefs. Alignment can take the form of clear objectives and metrics to consistently measure and discuss. Just be careful and these metrics don't create negative "selfish" behaviors that may meet the short term objectives but create a culture that won't sustain the company in the longer term.

There are a lot of other ideas in my head like culture, hiring, team building, etc. but those are the ones that bubbled to my head today! What did I miss?