Welcome to my blog. You may want to filter posts by your role for your convenience. Click here if you are an individual contributor in product (aka. PM) and here if you are leading a product organisation (aka product leader).
Generative AI tools are becoming more accessible by the day, and their use cases are multiplying rapidly. From creating children’s books to assisting teachers with lesson planning to coaching agents for personal growth, AI is everywhere. While the opportunities are exciting, it’s critical that we pause and reflect on the limitations and potential dangers these tools carry.
Read MoreAs we close out 2024, I'm once again pausing to reflect on the past year—its wins, challenges, and the many meaningful moments. This annual reflection helps me celebrate progress, note lessons learned, and look forward with clarity. If you’re interested in seeing any previous years’ editions, you can browse through them here.
Read MoreAs we get to the end of the year, it’s natural for us to want to spend some time reflecting. What went well for us in the past year? What were some areas where we’d like to improve in the future? And while you may naturally spend time doing this for yourself, if you’re a leader, it’s especially important for you to model this type of self-reflection and encourage it on your team.
Read MoreIf you’ve been following my work for a while, you might be familiar with the PMwheel, a tool I designed to be a structured yet flexible "compass" for product management growth. If this is the first time you’re hearing about the PMwheel, you might want to hop over to this post to learn a bit more about it (and if you’re a product leader who’s interested in how you can make use of the PMwheel, I’d suggest starting here).
Read MoreNow that I’ve been blogging regularly for several years, I thought it might be helpful to take a look at my blog’s performance and share the top 20 posts. I’m not doing this just to brag—since I’ve got quite a lot of content, I realize that new readers might be unsure where to dive in. This provides you a handy roadmap you can use to check out the most popular topics (or at least those that get the largest number of page views).
Read MoreIn many of my coaching sessions with product leadership teams, we often touch on the topic of team topologies. This often comes up when there's friction between teams—either they're too small, too large, or just not optimally structured. This friction can lead to inefficiencies and misalignment. Therefore, understanding and applying the principles of team topologies is crucial for any organization aiming to streamline its product development process.
Read MoreOccasionally, people ask me if there are any alternatives to the PMwheel. While I have a strong bias toward the PMwheel (I created it, after all!), I’ve begun to compile a list of other product manager assessment resources that are out there.
Read MoreBeing a good product leader does not mean that you should respond the same way to every situation you encounter. In fact, the sign of a great leader is knowing when to adapt your approach to maximize your team’s long-term development.
Read MoreI recently listened to a podcast episode with Kenneth Berger, and one of his core ideas truly struck a chord with me: uncovering "the dream behind the complaint. Kenneth's insight is a beautiful framing for product leaders. When a direct report comes to you with a complaint, there's often a deeper, unspoken desire behind it.
Read MoreIn this post, the final in the series, we’ll be reviewing the most important points for you to remember (I’m calling this your “Managing up cheat sheet”) as well as some ways to make sure you tailor your message to your manager’s communication style.
Read Morein the third post in the series, we explored what you can do when you’re experiencing conflict with other people or teams. In this post, we’ll be looking at another specific situation when you might need more support from your boss—when you’d like to develop your PM skills.
Read MoreIn this post, we’ll be looking at a specific situation when you might need more support from your boss—when you’re experiencing conflicts with other people or teams and when the boss competency of role clarity might be the missing piece of the puzzle. Need a refresher on all ten boss competencies?
Read MoreI recently posed a simple question on LinkedIn: What are your top tips for new product leaders? I was simply blown away by the response this post received. Clearly, there are plenty of people in my network who want to share their experience and learnings with other new leaders. Rather than keep it contained within my LinkedIn feed, I decided I’d gather their advice here so it’s perhaps a bit easier for people to find and share with others. Here’s what they had to say.
Read MoreIs your organization dabbling in new frameworks or methodologies, but you’re unsure about their potential success? You're not alone. Many "trendy" frameworks often turn out to be underwhelming due to one major pitfall: superficial implementation.
Read MoreAre you a Head of Product, Product Team Lead, or CPO looking for someone to support you as you set about developing a strong product organisation? Look no further. I can help you to become the confident and self-aware product leader you want to be.
Read More2022 is almost over, but I have one final Community of Practice (CoP) interview to share with you! This one is a little different since I’ve been working with Sarah Reeves and StepStone to help build out and mature the product CoP. Be sure to check this interview out if you’re especially interested in the early stages of getting a CoP up and running.
Read MoreKeeping focus is definitely a challenge as a one-woman show. And that is why I put together this annual blog post: Because it helps me with exactly that. Gaining focus. I come back to this post multiple times throughout the year and I sometimes use it when I have to politely explain to people why I can’t do what they want me to do (speak at a meetup, share my opinion on software they are developing, give them some advice, speak at their conference, write a chapter of their book, the list goes on and on!).
Read MoreWe all know: constraints are good. They are the fuel for our creative thinking. But for life choices and career planning, I see too many people accepting constraints way too easily. They are living on autopilot. Instead of creating their own future, they are more accepting of the future others have in mind for them.
Read MoreThroughout 2022, I’ve been conducting interviews with people who lead and participate in product Communities of Practice (CoP). I’m excited to share the next installment in my series, featuring Priya Biswas, Director of Product Management, Business Analysis and Organizational Change Management Practice at ATB Financial.
Read MoreI recently attended a product meetup and have to share an observation: Many of us could better introduce ourselves. So I’m sharing real-life examples with this post of how an improved introduction could look like.
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