Leaders take action

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Great leaders understand the responsibility of doing things right, making sure they’re accomplishing the goals they’ve set out for themselves and their organizations. Doing things right is a core to success. However, if you focus too much on planning, and don’t get to work making things happen, you might miss the bigger opportunity.

General George S. Patton summed up this concept nicely when he said: “A good plan executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.” Planning is a good thing and it’s always necessary. However, if you focus too much on planning you will never achieve the success you’re really looking for.

Steve Johnson – strategic product management coach and storyteller – wrote about the importance of getting things done in a recent post: “There’s doing it right, and there’s doing it perfectly. You want to focus on the former and not the latter.”

Take a look at how you plan, and then take a hard look at how you execute. If you focus more on the planning than the executing, make it a priority to change, to focus on the latter.

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The Product Management Perspective: Agile development has become an important software development methodology. While it doesn’t make sense for every product development group to use Agile, the idea of iterating between planning and development can (and should) be applied regardless. If writing a lengthy PRD makes sense, do it, but do it quickly and get it to development so they can start working on it. Don’t get caught up in having the “perfect PRD” – it doesn’t exist. Take time to plan, but get moving quickly. Your customers will be the beneficiaries.

Filed under: Leadership, Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Leadership and collaboration

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Michael Ray Hopkin

When you consider that success includes all the important aspects of life in aggregate, the most successful people focus first and foremost on making other people successful. They collaborate with others. When an opportunity arises they first consider its implications on the people they lead and the people they care about. When a problem surfaces they don’t panic and start pointing fingers; they work with the team until things are right again.

In a humorous and insightful article titled “The Princess Bride”: Movie or Mini-MBA? author Jim Foxworthy takes eight quotes from this classic movie and applies them product management. The first one relates nicely to leadership and collaboration:

“You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.” The lead engineer says the product will miss the release date by six months. You may want to strangle this person, but keep this quote in mind. You’ve got to collaborate with your counterparts in development, because what they do isn’t immediate. It’s not throwing a light switch.

Too often we get in a hurry and forget to work with those who can help us the most. Take the time to listen. Make sure you understand every situation before you make decisions. Work effectively with others and your success will accelerate up and to the right.

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The Product Management Perspective: Product managers have to collaborate with many teams. None is more important than development…the folks who are building your products. You have to work with them, you have to be patient, and you have to be a team player. Take time to listen, look for ways negotiate and come to an agreement.

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Three Keys to Product Management Success

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

As product managers you have a significant responsibility for the success of your company. It’s easy to get bogged down in the countless tasks that are thrown your way every day. With all the meetings, floods of email, and requirements to manage, the thought of spending time on areas of strategic focus can seem overwhelming. However, with planning and a little effort you can make the difference. Start by focusing on three simple, yet powerful, keys to success:

  1. Know your market: Get a clear understanding of the market where your products compete, and work diligently to stay out in front of new trends and technologies. Make customer calls and customer visits often. Work with the sales team; understand how they sell your products. Know what works. Know the weaknesses of the products (and take action to correct them). Understand why people pay (or don’t pay) for your products. Be the voice of the customer to your company.
  1. Provide clear direction: One of your key directives as a product manager is to provide clear direction to the engineering/development teams. Spend the time to write understandable and timely requirements and prioritize them effectively. Provide solid product design (with the help of good designers). Give clear direction and project confidence and your full support to the work the engineering is doing. Earn their trust. Inspire them to do great things. “Have their backs” with the rest of the company (i.e. be their outspoken supporter).
  1. Launch successfully: You are in a unique position to facilitate successful product launches. Start with a tight, focused beta program; learn from the testers and change accordingly. Help product marketing set the proper tone for the launch by understanding the new product’s strengths. Work in tandem with the customer support teams to monitor product acceptance and make changes where necessary. Work with the sales team to make sure they understand the new product and hit the ground running when it releases. After a successful launch, monitor the product’s uptake and financials and make sure it continues to succeed. This, of course, loops back to knowing your market and making sure your product meets the needs of the people in your market.

These three practices cover the most important bases for creating successful products. You should plan time to focus on these elements on a daily and weekly basis. If you are in a leadership position in product management, take time to evaluate your team and make sure they are focusing on these key practices that will lead to product success.

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The Product Management Perspective: see above

Filed under: Market-driven, Product Management / Marketing, Team Building, Trust | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Leadership and Teamwork

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Sports metaphors are everywhere in the workplace, but there’s no denying that the leadership and teamwork skills found in the sports setting teach important lessons. One approach to coaching that is rapidly gaining popularity is what is known as the Double-Goal Coaching Philosophy: emphasis is placed not only on winning, but also on team members’ learning and self-improvement.

In the world of business management, the game is played for keeps, but not all employees respond exclusively to a win-lose attitude. Follow these tips to promote a successful workplace that motivates team members and ultimately drives up productivity and profits.

Find out what motivates individuals

Monetary rewards are de rigeur in many competitive companies, but sometimes a bonus isn’t what motivates individuals. Perhaps it’s a little more time off, more responsibility, more rewarding work, or the chance to work collaboratively on a new project. You won’t know until you ask.

If you have a team, it’s important that they are able to work together – try some team building exercises such as lunches and other fun activities to ensure that there is a level of trust and respect between the various members of your team.

Avoid micromanaging

Nothing discourages initiative and strategic thinking like a hovering, critical manager. A middle ground can be maintained between complete freedom and micromanagement, but each employee requires a different balance. Getting to know your employees and the way that they work is essential. One useful exercise can be to do a Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) exercise with your team – this will allow you to identify strengths, weaknesses and different approaches to working life which will help you manage effectively.

Reward personal improvement

Do you want better employees? The best option is to encourage the ones you have. Not only does this approach build stronger workplace relationships, but it also gives employees a bigger stake in their own work, increasing levels of motivation. You could consider introducing ‘employee of the month’ systems or simply giving additional holiday time for overtime worked.

The Double-Goal Coaching Philosophy’s emphasis on being a leader that encourages personal development will not only build morale and motivation among your team, but benefit your bottom line, too.

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The Product Management Perspective: As a product manager you have a major influence on all those responsible for creating, marketing and selling your products. While you do not manage those individuals, you can have a major effect on their productivity and success. By implementing these principles, you will find your work to be much more enjoyable and the outcome much more attractive.

Full disclosure: The ideas for this post were influenced by duedil.com.

Filed under: Leadership, Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Technology is not enough

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Just because you port or transition your product (software, hardware, etc.) to a model that is new/up-and-coming/exciting/proven/<fill in the blank>/ you have no guarantee it will succeed; technology is not enough to make a mediocre idea succeed. You must understand the market. If your product or idea is not what potential customers are looking it does not matter what technology you use to roll it out. If the market you are seeking to service has no need for what you are rolling out, the technology irrelevant.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is now a proven way of providing software to companies. SaaS is gaining increasing acceptance and viability for many software companies, and customers appreciate the fact that much of the work and worry of software management  is now handled by the vendor. However (and this is a BIG however), if the ideas you are promoting and selling as software are not needed in the market — i.e. if the software is not market-driven — porting it to SaaS (or any other model/technology) will not save it; in fact it will complicate it.

Last year Steve Johnson wrote an excellent article called Stop Perfuming the Pig that goes in-depth on this topic. Steve says: “No amount of perfume can overcome the stench of a technology product that people don’t need.” Amen. You have to understand the market and make sure the market needs what you are building.

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The Product Management Perspective: These ideas fit squarely in the realm of product management; after all, the product manager is the voice of the market. One of (if not THE) most important responsibilities of a product manager is to have a profound understanding of the market, customers and potential customers his or her software targets. If you are not spending time doing market sensing, take a close look at where you are spending your time, clear up your calendar, and schedule time to understand the market. There are many effective ways to do this and they vary by industry, so you will need to figure out what works.The important thing is that you do it.

Filed under: Leadership, Market-driven, Product Management / Marketing, Techology | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Guest Post: 3 Steps to Magnetic Leadership

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

By Alan E. Shelton

Perhaps one of the thorniest problems in business today, is how to create quality output without being specifically in charge. Product managers in coalition organizations know this all too well. How do you drive your goals when you are not in a line on an organizational chart?

My largest client is in the apparel industry with a multiplicity of brand names. As a result, their organizational structure is not dependent on the normal hierarchal approach. Instead, product and brand managers are organized into coalitions that serve as a resource one to another. So, how does leadership really play out in this type of non-hierarchical organization? In my experience, there are three major competencies that when developed, create a magnetic leadership style.

1. Authenticity

In order to be seen as an authentic leader you must actually be authentic. Sounds obvious, right? Yet so many of us show up at work each day shedding the truth of what’s really occurring in our lives and how that effects our interactions and performance.

Everyone knows the maddening experience of watching someone’s temper erupt in the middle of a business meeting. What’s more maddening is when we see this behavior in ourselves. This is normally labeled as reactive behavior – because it happens by itself. It is personal behavior triggered by an event over which we have no control.

When a leader must draw his followers to him, then his own reactive behaviors must not come into play. For when this happens, there is an immediate sense that in some way the leader does not possess the authenticity to command his own outcomes. In order to deal with this there are many tools available which will identify and isolate your unconscious behaviors. An investment of time to unearth these behaviors is critical when leading in a nonhierarchical space.

2. Transparency

In modern leadership conversations we hear the term transparency bandied about with regularity. Even though we speak of transparency, it still is not a commonly found behavior in the corporate world. But when you’re not in charge, transparency might be the only card you have to play. So how does one become transparent?

Once again this is a personal development issue. In early learning we have become accustomed to believing that we have something to lose. It is this belief that creates a personal strategy that utilizes the manipulation of what others see. If they see the right things they will act in the right way. And if they don’t see what one might keep hidden, they simply can’t respond. But when you don’t possess the ability to control your team members, what do you have? You have who you are. And if that is all you have, it’s imperative that you are transparent in reflecting that to those you lead. Once again an investment in reframing your understanding of what there is to lose is critical to your own transparency. When you are not in charge, rarely are there chips on the table. And it is this insight that allows you to act in a transparent manner.

3. It’s in the conversation

Finally, let’s talk about the narrative approach. Simply put, this is the use of your own personal stories in order to engender leadership outcomes. At face value, this sounds as though you are using your personal stories. But the experience of the authentic and transparent leader is not manipulative in any way.

Think for a moment about the wise old executives that you have learned from along the way. Most often what you will remember is their incredible stories. In fact, although the stories are theirs you feel in your heart of hearts that you have lived them for yourself. This is the narrative approach. It takes authenticity and transparency to even attempt this style of leadership. By understanding that your story is the doorway through which somebody can stand in your experience you will open a new possibility. Every story that you tell will now become an invitation to those who see you and respect you as an executive thought leader.

In this approach there is no need to manipulate or create rewards. You simply offer yourself up, warts and all, for what you are. A visionary, yet human being with the horsepower to hold the space for those that would magnetically draw themselves near. When you think about it this is the highest form of leadership anyway. But in situations where no obvious control has been given to you, you can up your game. Through your own personal development and maturity you can offer your own experience as the playing field upon which successful outcomes occur.

ALAN E. SHELTON is a leadership coach, speaker, blogger, and author. His groundbreaking book, Awakened Leadership: Beyond Self-Mastery, integrates the corporate leadership and spiritual worlds through his message that awakening is the felt sense that your actions seamlessly reside in who you really are and move in a perfect flow. You can follow Alan on Twitter, like his Facebook page, and learn more about him at his website, www.AlanShelton.com

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The Product Management Perspective: Authenticity and transparency are key traits of successful product managers. Because you work with other teams (that you do not manage or control), your ability to communicate effectively and promote the right actions on behalf of your products is imperative. Be the visionary for your product and you will lead your products to success.

Filed under: Leadership, Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

PCamp Utah and the “unconference” explained

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

In the technology world, conferences have grown into huge events that attract thousands of participants and occupy massive convention centers. Hosting technology conferences has turned into an industry driven by big money and advertising. The value to individuals has diminished as the industry has commercialized. Enter BarCamp.

BarCamps sprouted up in 2005 as the unconference way of gathering and sharing ideas. They are open, participatory workshop-like events where the participants provide the content and attendees collaborate to learn and grow in their specific areas of interest. The BarCamp phenomenon has gone viral and spread far and wide.

Leaders in product management and product marketing have extended the BarCamp idea to ProductCamps (or PCamp). PCamps are free, collaborative un-conferences organized to help product people (product managers, product marketers, UX designers, developers, etc.) network, learn and improve their ability to create great products. The first PCamp was held in Mountain View CA in 2008 and has grown into a significant event in Silicon Valley. From Silicon Valley the PCamp wave has spread to Austin, Denver, Vancouver, Sydney and many other cities all over the world through blog posts and word of mouth. The ProductCamp growth has been incredible.

After our first successful product camp last September, the UPMA is hosting its second ProductCamp Utah on Saturday, May 12, 2012 in Bluffdale Utah. We invite you to register for this free event and join us for what is sure to be an insightful day of learning, networking and growth.

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The Product Management Perspective: Product camps provide great opportunities to improve our product management/marketing skills. Product camps are a great way to sharpen the saw and grow your network. I strongly encourage you to seek out and participate in a ProductCamp in your area. Don’t just go there to listen, step forward and host a session. It will be well worth your time.

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Five must-read blogs

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Today’s post focuses on five blogs that have been great resources for me. These blogs and their authors have not only shaped my thinking but also inspired me to dig deeper and work harder. These are great blogs and I highly recommend you click through and spend some time learning from their authors.

Leadership: One of my favorite leadership blogs is Art Petty’s Management Excellence blog. Art writes about all things leadership, and he does a great job of explaining key points in a practical way.

Purpose: One of the most positive people I know is Dr. Paul Jenkins (“Dr. Paul”). His Parental Power courses are second to none, and his Live on Purpose podcast is a source of constant inspiration to help you evaluate and improve your life.

Product Management: If you want to learn about product management and understand it from a leader’s perspective, you need to read Jim Holland’s PM Tribe blog. Jim does a great job explaining principles in a way that’s easy to understand and apply to your situation.  Full disclosure: I worked for Jim in the past and consider him a mentor for life.

Product Marketing: April Dunford specializes in introducing new technology to the market. Her Rocket Watcher blog covers key aspects of taking products to market, both in startups and in large companies. Here wit and humor make it fun and a must-read for anyone interested in marketing.

New (to me): One of the newer blogs I’ve come across recently is We Move Together by Michael Hurley. The tagline is Thoughts and Observations on Leadership & Teamwork. From what I’ve read so far I’m impressed with Michael’s ability to tell stories in a way that inspires you to improve.

These are just five of many that have made a big impact on my life. Please leave a comment and share the blogs you like and the authors who have inspired you.

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The Product Management Perspective: There are many great resources for learning about product management and improving your skills. The key is spending some time each day learning and networking with other PMs, marketers and dev gurus.

Filed under: Leadership, Learning, Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

The desire to learn

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

One of the key tenets of leadership is learning. Great leaders are learners. They read voraciously. They write and teach what they learn. Learning is as much a part of their life as eating.

Cultivating the desire to learn is vital to your success as a leader. Tip 5 in Management Tips: Harvard Business Review states the following:

Successful leaders keep their minds open to new things because they know that no matter how high their level of mastery, there is always more to discover…. When facing challenges, even ones you’ve faced many times before, adopt a learner’s approach—ask questions or find new ways to solve problems.

I never get tired of this great quote by Eric Hoffer: “In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”

Cultivate your desire to learn. Let that desire drive you to succeed.

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The Product Management Perspective: Technology and markets evolve and change more rapidly every year. To be a successful product manager you must be a learner. Encourage learning among your peers, but don’t just talk about it, show it by your actions. Recommend books, forward links to blog posts or write an article in your company newsletter. You will become the go-to leader in your organization.

Filed under: Leadership, Learning, Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Know your market

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

If you are growing your company, or are thinking about starting a company — in any industry — you need to understand your market; you need product management. If you desire to improve your company’s success, you need product management. Whether your product is a product, services, solution or other type of offering, you need product management. Whether you call it ‘product management’ or use some other name, you need the discipline to of understanding your market instilled in the company. To succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy, you need to understand your market.

Product marketing makes an important contribution to knowing your markets (for the company) and having success with product releases. My friend Kim Gusta wrote a recent post on the importance knowing your buyers has on understanding the market. She says: “Product marketers have the buyer knowledge to create really good content…. Without this essential knowledge, the organization creates generic content that doesn’t engage anyone.”

Regardless of how you go about it, you have to know your market and message your product in a way that compels customers.

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The Product Management Perspective: As product managers you already know the importance of understanding your market. Get involved in your local product management association and/or product camps, and help spread the word.

Filed under: Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

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