How to improve your product craft: Insights from product leaders (Omar Sallam, Liz Clow, Leah Tharin)
Jan 17, 2024
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Product leaders Omar Sallam, Liz Clow, and Leah Tharin discuss the importance of self-reflection and continuous improvement, investing in learning from other fields, tackling challenges and frustrations in AI, continuous learning and development for product managers, and the value of engaging in communities and sharing experiences.
Journaling and self-reflection lead to self-awareness and personal growth.
Seeking inspiration from diverse fields and perspectives helps product professionals gain fresh insights and enhance their practice.
Deep dives
Journaling and self-reflection
A common theme among the podcast guests is the practice of journaling and self-reflection. By writing down their thoughts on a daily basis, individuals can fully process their experiences and reflections, leading to self-awareness and personal growth. The act of journaling helps in developing clarity of thoughts and identifying areas for improvement. Additionally, guests mentioned the importance of retrospection after important events or activities, questioning what worked, what didn't work, what was missing, and what they learned. By consistently asking these questions, individuals can continuously improve in their roles and enhance their performance.
Seeking inspiration from diverse sources
The podcast guests emphasized the importance of seeking inspiration from outside their immediate field of expertise. This includes exploring different industries, creative arts, attending festivals, and even engaging in activities like free diving. By exposing themselves to different perspectives and ideas, product professionals can expand their thinking and gain fresh insights. They highlighted the value of integrating storytelling, creative thinking, and interdisciplinary approaches into their product practice. By embracing curiosity and looking at other people's stories, they found inspiration and new ways to approach their work.
Pushing out of the comfort zone
The podcast guests stressed the significance of stepping out of comfort zones to grow and improve. They emphasized the importance of feeling uncomfortable and taking on challenges that push their boundaries. By accepting discomfort and progressively becoming more accustomed to it, individuals can expand their skills and capabilities. They highlighted the value of pairing with different people, seeking mentorship, and collaborating to broaden their perspectives. They also mentioned the benefits of attending meetups, conferences, and engaging in continuous learning through podcasts, articles, and other resources. Stepping away from one's cushy role and exploring new, sometimes scary, areas fosters personal and professional growth.
This episode on The Product Experience unlocks the secrets to elevating your product management skills with insights from our distinguished guests Andrew Skotzko, Alex Watson, Liz Clow, and Daniel Stillman. Tune in to hear what some great product experts had to say!
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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