Brian de Haaff's Blog, page 23
November 13, 2017
How to Silence the Office Donkey
My friend Mary recently shared a recurring nightmare. It involved a twisted metamorphosis into a donkey. It was Disney’s fault — specifically, the film Pinocchio. You know, the scene where the mischievous boys transform into jackasses? It scared the heck out of her as a kid. But these days a different type of donkey haunts my friend.
She works with a person who hee-haws until they get what they want. This office donkey stubbornly kicks back against any objections to their point of view and r...
November 7, 2017
Hey Product Manager: Your Sales Team Is Not Excited
Imagine that your job is to sell pencils. Number 2 pencils, to be specific. Your sales pitch is basic. “Classic wooden pencils! You can sharpen, write, and erase!” There is not much else to say. Sure, there is beauty in the pencil’s simplicity and utility, but some days it is a struggle to get excited about moving those units.
Then your product manager shares some news — recycled rubber erasers are in development. Not only is this a new talking point, but it is one the entire sales team can...
November 6, 2017
How to Build Your 2018 Roadmap Presentation
Public speaking. I have learned to really enjoy it and consider it an honor. I have done a lot of it over the last ten years. Although I do understand the anxiety some people feel looking at all those expectant faces. The nervous jitters or pressure to put on a show. But the audience is not that scary. They are just people like us. No, there is something else you should be afraid of that is related to presentations — it might surprise you at first.
Your only fear should be whether or not the...
October 31, 2017
How Smart Product Managers Track Competitors
There is a plague infiltrating your office. Sales? Already infected. Most of the other teams are sick now too. The symptoms make people act lifeless — paranoid thinking and nonsensical talk. You might even hear folks muttering, “We are behind.”
This plague is your key competitor — slowly sucking the life-force from your team.
Here is the worst part — the infected wound was self-inflicted. You only have yourself to blame. Because it is not what the competitor is doing that is causing the...
October 30, 2017
The 5 Types of Scary Co-Workers
Do you like spooky stories? I have one about an office worker named George. George liked his job and helping his team succeed. But he always felt like someone was creeping in the background. This person slowed down projects, gobbled up all the credit, and whispered malicious tales.
Watch out, George! The call is coming from inside the office! Too late — the shadowy ghoul had already wrecked havoc on George’s work life.
Okay, maybe this story is not exactly spine-shivering. But I bet you ha...
October 26, 2017
Your Remote Co-workers Feel Left Out
I was recently talking with a CEO who was having trouble hiring and retaining good people. He was considering opening new locations and adding a few remote workers. His thinking? More people. My thinking? More problems. Guaranteed.
No matter how many locations you add, the big decisions will likely still be made centrally at headquarters — leaving your remote teammates frustrated.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I am a strong advocate of remote work. Aha! does not h...
October 24, 2017
This Is Not a Product Roadmap
What is a product roadmap? Simple enough question. Most product managers would say that a product roadmap lays out the future. But then ask to see that product roadmap and what do you get? A few technical bits about what is planned, captured in a spreadsheet or bug tracking tool.
This is not a roadmap. This is a collection of feature stuff — no strategic theme, impossible to understand how the work ties into the company’s goals.
The disconnect between strategy and work in so many organizatio...
October 17, 2017
Hey Boss: Stop Telling Me to Bring You Solutions
“Do not bring me problems. Bring me solutions.” I am sure you have heard this mantra at work before. In most cases, the thinking is that problems will only make the boss look bad. Well, something looks bad all right — the boss’s “do not bother me” attitude. So what do you do?
When I raised this question on LinkedIn, some people said bringing solutions alongside problems shows you are not a complainer. Others said bosses with this leadership style are not supportive. But there was one consens...
October 16, 2017
Do These 4 Things Before a Remote Job Interview
Did you ever think your future could be decided by a barking dog? Or a loved one popping in to ask what’s for dinner? Or an unfamiliar web conferencing program? These or any one of an infinite number of things can derail a remote job interview — if you do not properly prepare.
As part of building our entirely remote team at Aha! I have interviewed hundreds of people over video. And I can always tell who has done it before — or at least who has conscientiously prepared to do their best.
I wa...
October 12, 2017
Your LinkedIn Profile vs. Your Resume
“Clairvoyant Humanist and Life Consultant.” I got a LinkedIn request from someone with this “title” the other day. Well, I am no clairvoyant. But I can predict one thing. The offbeat title will raise eyebrows — as well as suspicion about this person’s level of professionalism.
It got me thinking — do people not take their LinkedIn profiles seriously? Or at least not as seriously as their resumes?
Our team at Aha! is growing fast. We receive and review thousands of resumes and links to Linked...
