#4 Leading product teams with outcomes | Hope Gurion, Product Leader and Coach
Apr 6, 2024
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Product leader and coach, Hope Gurion, discusses the importance of continuous discovery, moving from outputs to outcomes, upskilling teams, and the role of strong product leaders in driving transformation. Topics include different types of outcomes, negotiating with leaders, and sharing outcomes across teams. The conversation highlights the shift towards outcome-driven product management and the challenges faced in embracing continuous discovery.
Continuous discovery is crucial for product teams to mitigate risks and deliver value. Shifting to outcome-driven management focuses on success metrics over tasks. Product leaders play a vital role in coaching teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Deep dives
Importance of Continuous Discovery in Product Teams
Continuous discovery is crucial in product teams as it helps mitigate risks associated with building products that don't deliver value, making it a core tenet of the product operating model. The process involves navigating the spectrum between output and outcome-oriented product management, where outcome-driven approaches focus on defining success measures rather than solely output delivery.
Transitioning from Output-Driven to Outcome-Driven Management
Shifting from output-driven to outcome-driven management involves understanding the difference between output and outcome focus in product teams. Output-driven management typically emphasizes tasks and predefined solutions, leading to high-risk commitments. Conversely, outcome-driven management defines success metrics and encourages teams to prioritize de-risking assumptions, thus reducing post-release risks.
Challenges and Recommendations for Team Transformation
Transitioning from an output-driven to an outcome-driven approach poses challenges like resistance to added workloads and a lack of understanding about shorter learning cycles. Recommendations include selecting opportunities aligned with outcomes rather than dates, identifying and de-risking critical assumptions early, and fostering a culture that values continuous learning and rapid adaptation.
Role of Product Leaders in Crafting Outcomes and Coaching Teams
Product leaders play a vital role in coaching and unblocking teams transitioning to continuous discovery habits. They should engage in two-way negotiations with teams to draft outcomes, encourage strategic thinking, and support the team's progress tracking. Additionally, leaders must incentivize short learning cycles and maintain transparent progress check-ins to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Recognizing Pitfalls and Overcoming Resistance in Adopting Continuous Discovery Habits
Common pitfalls in adopting continuous discovery habits include resistance due to perceived time constraints, lack of experience in de-risking assumptions, and a mindset focused on output delivery. Overcoming resistance requires emphasizing efficient learning strategies, distinguishing between one-way and two-way decisions, and encouraging team collaboration with strategic guidance.
Navigating Challenges in Unique Product Environments
In environments with unique challenges like hardware products or long adoption cycles, adapting continuous discovery habits necessitates a focus on de-risking early, leveraging prototype testing, and conducting efficient assumption tests. Collaboration with cross-functional teams and prioritizing short learning cycles can aid in addressing challenges specific to varied product contexts.
Hope works together with Teresa Torres teaching and coaching product teams on all things continuous discovery, is the founder of Fearless Product, and is one of the featured product coaches in Marty Cagan’s new book Transformed.
Sometimes we meet people that we immediately know are special.
Hope is one of them :)
And this conversation is the evidence of why I’ve been such a big fan of Hope’s work for a few years now.
We discussed,
* Why is continuous discovery so important
* How to move from leading with outputs to outcomes
* Why shifting to outcomes requires both an upskilling in leadership and teams
* Why most transformations require bringing in strong product leaders
* What can product teams do to drive transformation
* Different types of outcomes and how to formulate them
* How product teams should approach business outcomes
* How to share outcomes with other areas of the business (e.g. Marketing, Sales)
* Why formulating and deciding on outcomes is a two-way negotiation between teams and leaders
* And more
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com
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