How to improve your relationship with data - Heather Williams (Director of Product, Elsevier)
Sep 25, 2024
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Heather Williams, Director of Product at Elsevier, shares her journey from UX design to leading product teams. She explores the integration of data-driven decision-making in product management, highlighting cross-functional collaboration among data analysts, UX designers, and subject matter experts. Heather discusses the importance of user research in shaping innovative product strategies and emphasizes the need for clear communication and mapping user journeys to enhance teamwork. She also addresses the impact of AI on data handling and the ethical considerations it brings.
Heather Williams emphasizes the importance of a data-driven approach in product management, enhancing decision-making through collaboration among diverse team members.
The flexibility in structure for data analytics integration allows product teams at Elsevier to maximize resource efficiency and enrich insights during project lifecycles.
Deep dives
Embracing Data-Driven Decision-Making
Product teams can significantly enhance their decision-making by adopting a data-driven approach, as emphasized by the discussion of data utilization at Elsevier. Heather Williams highlighted the evolution of their methods in data collection, involving collaboration among various team members, including user experience specialists and data analysts. By integrating qualitative insights from various sources, product teams can refine their algorithms and enhance user experience throughout the development cycle. Effective use of data not only informs design but also ensures that product decisions are backed by thorough analysis and historical context.
Integrating Data Roles within Product Teams
To effectively incorporate data analytics into product teams, a flexible structure is crucial, as observed in Heather's management at Elsevier. While some teams embed data analysts directly within squads, it is common for these experts to support multiple squads to maximize resource efficiency. This shared expertise fosters collaboration and encourages a unified approach to problem-solving across different projects. Additionally, having subject matter experts join during critical phases in project lifecycles enriches the team's insights, ensuring that varying perspectives are considered.
Navigating Change Through Continuous Learning
Continuous learning is vital for product managers when responding to data and market shifts, emphasizing the importance of agility in product development. Heather articulated how regular performance discussions and data reviews help teams adjust their strategies effectively, even outlining the need for 'pivots' in response to new insights. This adaptability promotes an environment where experimentation and learning are valued, allowing teams to refine their approaches based on real-time feedback. Moreover, the integration of AI in data processing is becoming increasingly significant, as it aids in analyzing vast datasets swiftly, thus enhancing the decision-making process.
Discover the secrets of successful product management with Heather Williams, Director of Product at Elsevier, as she shares her transformative journey from UX design to leading product teams. Recorded live at the Mind the Product Roadshow in Amsterdam, Heather unpacks the power of user research and interaction design in shaping innovative product strategies. Learn how Elsevier's product teams integrate data-driven decision-making through cross-functional collaboration, including roles for data analysts, UX designers, and subject matter experts, all working towards enhancing product experiences.
Featured Links: Follow Heather on LinkedIn | Elsevier | 'Five things we learned at the Pendomonium + #mtpcon roadshow - Amsterdam 2024'feature by Louron Pratt
Our Hosts Lily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.
Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.
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