Don't waste your time chasing down the wrong product problems.
Why your product problems aren't what you think they are and what to do about it.
I’ve been full-time coaching + teaching for over a year now (phew!) and I’ve collected a lot of qualitative data. From small 10-person teams to product leaders in massive FAANG companies, I constantly hear Product people misdiagnosing their problems. And in turn, trying to solve for the wrong things. Based on hundreds of conversations and coaching sessions, here’s a translation of your problem and what you can do to course correct.
You think you’ve got an underperforming team.
Reality: You don't understand your team’s motivations and ways of working.
You should:
Create a Roles & Responsibilities Document: So often, PMs are complaining to me about their counterparts and why they aren’t moving quick enough or doing their job. My first question: do both agree on what each of your jobs are? This is why I love a good ole roles and responsibilities contract. Lay out and agree to role expectations so that you stop pointing fingers. Watch your expectations reset. Be less resentful. It works, I promise.
Introduce Operating Manuals: I’m a big champion of the Operating Manual. It’s helpful to create your own but it’s 10x better if you get your whole team to participate. It really cracks open the gaps and helps you understand why certain people and activities aren’t hitting the mark.
Restructure Who Works on What Projects: Consider aligning people to the areas of the product they enjoy the most. To teams and initiatives that play to their individual strengths and interests. Watch engagement and productivity skyrocket.1
You think you’ve got a micromanaging leader, founder or board.
Reality: You haven’t clearly defined the scope of different roles and how decisions are made.
You should:
Use a RACI Model: Ah, the RACI model. But seriously, have you tried using one? Here’s your reminder this tool exists to outline who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task and decision your org makes. I promise you it will reduce overlap and confusion. The time you take to fill this out will pay dividends.
Adopt a Decision-Making Framework: Implement a structured approach to how decisions are made. Are decisions made democratically or top down? There’s no one-sized fits all here, but be intentional with how you go about making decisions. And remember to explain the process to the team as well. It will save you a lot of headaches.
You think you’re moving too slow and losing ground on the competition.
Reality: You haven’t partnered correctly with your counterparts2 to operate in lockstep in the product operating model.
You should:
Revisit the Development Process with Your EM: Consider collaborating more closely with your Engineering Manager to refine your development workflow. Ensure it is efficient and aligned with your product goals. Often, I encounter PMs that have NOT done this and it should literally be step one.
I wrote more on Engineering Partnership here to get you started.
Consider Adopting Story Pointing or Another Velocity Tracking Tool: I love leaning on agile practices to create more transparency in the development process. And, I find story pointing - estimating the effort required for tasks - as a great starter tool. Disclaimer: Be careful how you introduce it. Many engineers will interpret it as micromanging. Work with your Engineering Manger to sell story pointing in a way that connects with your team’s motivations and ways of working.
Connect Your Work Back to the Top Business Goals: Ensure that every project and task ties back to the overarching business objectives. This helps prioritize work that drives significant impact and helps motivate a team from the ground up. Especially if your team isn’t working on the top bets or revenue driving work, like internal tools or services, make it your job to paint the picture and tell a compelling product story.
Everyone thinks you’re the Karen of the team (an actual quote, lol).
You haven’t taken a moment to get to know everyone on a human level.
You should:
Schedule Some 1:1 Time with Your Team: Conduct a listening tour to build trust and understand your team’s perspectives - from design, to engineering to QA. I know you’re busy but making the time to do 1:1 sessions - even 20 min - fosters better relationships and improves collaboration drastically. I’ve seen it time and time again.
Evangelize Your Work: Use the 1:1 sessions to explain your role and how your work benefits the team. Transparency can reduce misunderstandings and build respect. And if you’re needing more strategies on how to evangelize, consider some strategies here.
Your problems ARE important but they’re not unique. Consider more root-cause thinking to understand what’s really going on before you hit the ground running to problem solve.
Hi - I’m Jori and I’m a Product Coach. Here’s how to work with me ↩️
I work with Product Leaders and their teams to unlock their biggest career moments. If you’re looking for support - drop me a note, I’d love to connect. 🤝
I co-host Product Leadership Breakfast NYC, a monthly product breakfast series to bring together curated groups of PM leaders to connect and share learnings and insights over casual breakfast. If you live in NYC or find yourself passing through, join us! ☕
Seriously, I had a client do this and it was a game changing switch.
Like your Engineering Manager or Design Lead