Brian de Haaff's Blog, page 20
March 2, 2018
33 Questions Smart Product Managers Ask in Job Interviews
“Do you validate parking?” I had asked a job candidate at a previous company if they had any questions for me. And this was the sole question from the product manager I was interviewing. Flabbergasting. Product managers are supposed to be curious and inquisitive. This person’s lack of meaningful questions told me they did not want the job enough.
An interview is your best opportunity to figure out if the job and the company are the right fit for you. Do not waste it by asking routine question...
March 1, 2018
You vs. Your Company
What motivates you at work? We all have ambitions regardless of our role — individual contributors, managers, and executives. Ambition is good and it should be encouraged. But if your priority is reaching superstar status, you will almost always fall short.
Finding the balance between your own career interests and the goals of the company is the surest way to meaningful growth and success. In fact, if you work at a company whose mission you believe in and whose values match your own, it shoul...
February 27, 2018
Going Agile Is Not a Transformation
Enterprise transformation. I have been writing about it a lot over the last few weeks. And I have been talking with other technology leaders about it even more. It is interesting to hear how so many people view this concept differently. But four words keep popping up when I ask about how companies are changing: “We are going agile.” Huh?
Many companies are describing enterprise transformation in terms of the work — specifically, how the work gets done. This is obviously important since an ent...
February 21, 2018
7 Product Management Job Titles (and What They Really Do)
There are some Inuit dialects that have dozens of words for “snow.” The dialect spoken in Canada’s Nunavik region, for example, has at least 53 words to distinguish between wet snow and crystalline powder. Interesting, right? Even though I really like being in the mountains, you might be wondering why I am writing about snow.
Well, it occurred to me that product management has its own version of this. Different job titles for what, on the surface, appear to be the same thing — but that actual...
February 20, 2018
What Is Needed for Real Enterprise Transformation
I want to begin with three business truths. The first is that most companies will need to fundamentally change to better serve customers. The second is that the transformation required will be enterprise-wide and include digital, solutions, and data-oriented strategies. And finally, for meaningful change to happen, the organization needs to think and behave differently to execute on the chosen strategy.
This is what is required to unlock improved customer experiences.
If you are not convinc...
February 15, 2018
Hey Boss: Your “Open Door” Policy Is a Joke
The big boss strolls into the big corner office. “Remember, my door is always open,” they call out to the team. If this sounds like the start of a bad joke, that is because in a way it is. “Open door” policies are usually empty gestures. Because if you have to tell people that you are open and accessible, then it is probably not true. And you have a transparency problem.
The so-called open door policy is a corporate cliché — a relic that should be left in the past.
Of course, there are also...
February 13, 2018
The 3 Types of Enterprise Transformation
What does transformation really mean? Merriam-Webster dictionary offers a grounded and elegant definition: “The act or process of changing completely.” Interestingly, I am not the only one to be curious about this word recently. The online dictionary tracks the popularity of word lookups — “transformation” is in the top 20 percent. Why? I have some theories.
The concept of transformation across an organization is especially appealing in many large, well-established organizations right now. Th...
February 12, 2018
4 Ways Being Nice Is Hurting Your Career
Are we morally obligated to always tell the truth? What about telling a small fib with good intentions? White lies are one of those things that give deep thinkers fits. Soften or obscure the truth to avoid hurting somebody — it frequently happens at home and at work. And it is a problem. Because this ends up doing more harm than good.
For example, when you cover for a colleague’s shortcomings in order to spare their feelings. Good intentions perhaps, but you do nobody any favors.
Stop worryi...
February 7, 2018
10 Business and Strategy Books for Curious Product Managers
“I am just too busy to read.” This is what people usually say when I ask for book recommendations. But are you really too busy? I would argue that there are things you could probably limit or remove to make room for even 15 minutes of reading each day. One less Netflix binge? Not checking social media before bed?
To help our team at Aha! grow, we build out specialized training programs. One of my favorite things that we do as a team is read a book together twice a year. We share our thoughts...
February 6, 2018
Why This CEO Does Not Believe in Digital Transformation
I recently asked people on LinkedIn to explain how their companies are trying to achieve meaningful organizational change. Most said with “greater efficiency” through “digital transformation” — with technology as the way to realize those efficiency gains.
The drive to transform is an honorable one. Unfortunately, too many companies are fixated on the wrong goals. Technology is a means to change an experience — implementing new technology is never the goal.
In the past, larger companies that...
