We’ll all encounter challenges in our careers. Times when we feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. With recession concerns and increasing layoffs, many people are entering a season like that. This a perfect time to consider how we are giving back to others around us. In the past few weeks, I’ve invited several …
Product Management
Why Now?
“Why Now?” is the million-dollar question that everyone dreaming of the next big idea needs to answer. There’s nothing new under the sun, so chances are that any idea you have has already been thought of. It has likely even tried and even more likely failed. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue an idea, though. …
Is our digital future inclusive?
As I create strategies for the future of digital banking, how can I be a part of ensuring it is inclusive? In your job, how can you help the future of digital be inclusive? As I create strategies for the future of digital banking, how can I be a part of ensuring it is inclusive? …
Would you switch phones?
Would you replace your iPhone with an Android phone? What if the Android phone was 50% cheaper? 75% cheaper? I recently asked my undergraduate students this question, and all of the iPhone users (most of the class) gave a resounding answer of “No!” I’ve been primarily an Android user since the iPhone 3G, but I’ve …
Distracted by shiny things?
Several years ago a leader in the radio industry reminded me of how easily we get distracted by shiny new things. He pointed out that having great radio shows and lucrative advertising deals was seen as so important for a radio station. The first drove listenership and the second drove profits. As a radio station …
What are you walling out?
I find myself quick to say no, to shut out an idea that I don’t like at first glance. Sometimes it’s a coping mechanism because I feel too busy. Other times it’s because I prejudged without fully understanding. But Robert Frost in his poem, “Mending Wall” puts it this way: “Before I build a wall …
Books for a quiet Thanksgiving
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved to read, but as I’ve gotten older, I found myself more distracted and with less focused time to read. This Thanksgiving we find ourselves with more downtime than usual, and so I thought I’d share two books that have been valuable to me over the years, and that …
Are you leaving dirty dishes?
The Man Who Didn’t Wash His Dishes by Phyllis Krasilosky is an old kids story where a man decides one day, tired after a big meal, to put off doing the dishes. The next day, the same thing happened, and the next, and the next, until there are no dishes left! You can find the …
Are you running an assembly line?
Many companies want to be innovative. They launch innovation programs, hackathons, and more. Then they go out and manage as if their company was an assembly line. They create standardized processes, controls and approvals, hierarchies and reporting structures, meetings about meetings. All of these to refine a process leading in the wrong direction. How can …
What are you celebrating?
I was rereading Marty Cagan’s book Inspired and I came across this quote: “Good teams celebrate when they achieve a significant impact to the business results. Bad teams celebrate when they finally released something.” Marty Cagan, Inspired It’s a good reminder that as a leader we need to pay attention to what we celebrate. Launching …