Fluvio’s Post

Here are 3 problems a product or design playbook won’t solve for you. Spoiler alert: They are usually the top 3 problems people try to solve with a playbook. 🔥 A playbook won't help you align teams on their ways of working 🔥 💡 People become more aligned by doing things together, not by debating how they could do things in the future. 🔥 A playbook may help you with employer branding… but the cost is extremely high 🔥 💡 If you recruit people by communicating practices they won’t actually be allowed to use when hired, all you’ll get is a highly demotivated team. 🔥 A playbook won't help you make others department understand product/design- or accelerate a product transformation 🔥 💡 Functional playbooks create a rigid documentation limiting adaptation to internal partners’ needs. They are the grout of your silos. Instead of “comprehensive playbooks” describing everything for a single function, you should 1️⃣ Focus only on the key elements needed for cross-team and cross-functional collaboration (#boxes) 2️⃣ Let teams document and share their own good practices for anything else (#bags) And always keep in mind that 👉 If nobody would notice if a practice wasn’t done “by the playbook”, this practice shouldn't be in the playbook #BagsAndBoxes

I am back with Day 8, though I am running behind by a day :) 🔔 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟖: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 🔔 So far, we've explored critical aspects of product management, including data-driven decision-making and stakeholder management. Today, let’s focus on one of the most vital components of product success: building and nurturing a high-performing product team. 💡 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: • 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: A strong team fosters collaboration and drives innovation. • 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: High-performing teams are efficient and consistently deliver high-quality work. • 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: A supportive and engaging work environment boosts morale and reduces turnover. 🚀 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦: 𝟏. 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞: • Look for candidates who not only have the necessary skills but also fit your company culture. Prioritize diversity to bring in different perspectives and ideas. 𝟐. 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: • Ensure each team member knows their role and how it contributes to the product’s success. Clear responsibilities prevent overlaps and gaps in work. 𝟑. 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: • Encourage open and transparent communication. Use tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or regular meetings to keep everyone in the loop. 𝟒. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: • Invest in your team’s professional growth through training programs, workshops, and conferences. Encourage knowledge sharing within the team. 𝟓. 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: • Create an environment where collaboration is encouraged. Use collaborative tools and foster a culture of teamwork. 𝟔. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: • Define what success looks like for your team. Set achievable goals and regularly review progress. Use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to align the team’s efforts with company objectives. 𝟕. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Acknowledge and celebrate your team’s successes, both big and small. Recognition boosts morale and motivates continued high performance. 𝟖. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: Regularly provide feedback to help team members grow. Constructive feedback should be specific, actionable, and delivered with empathy. 👉 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐭𝐞𝐦: Identify one area where your team could improve (e.g., communication, collaboration, skill development). Develop a plan to address this area and share your approach in the comments below.  #ProductManagement #TeamBuilding #Leadership #HighPerformance #PMExcellence #GenAIGenerated

I used to believe I was just bad at people skills. But, I got along with developers and managers just fine. It turns out, these skills have learnable frameworks. We're not doomed to the server closet anymore. Many tech professionals struggle to express themselves beyond the screen. We've already accomplished something incredible by mastering the complexity of coding. We can definitely learn to express ourselves more effectively to humans. It's time to transform your career by becoming a more effective and confident communicator. Investing in your communication skills can have a significant impact on your career. It can help you: 💼 Effectively explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders 💼 Collaborate more smoothly with team members 💼 Lead projects and teams with confidence 💼 Advance to leadership roles and increase your earning potential So, what does this look like in practice? Let's take something as simple as greeting others. In most workplaces, it's considered polite and professional to greet others when arriving at work or joining a virtual meeting. This can be as simple as: 👋 Saying "good morning" or "hello" to colleagues as you arrive at the office 👋 Starting a virtual meeting with a brief greeting, such as "hi everyone, thanks for joining" or "did anyone do anything interesting over the weekend?" 👋 Asking how someone's day is going or showing genuine interest in their well-being Not greeting others can give the impression that you're aloof, unfriendly, or not a team player. On the other hand, making an effort to greet others can help establish a positive and respectful tone for the rest of the day. For us, this might mean: 💻 Starting a stand-up meeting with a brief hello and introduction 💻 Greeting a colleague in chat before conveying information or asking questions 💻 Taking a moment to chat with teammates before diving into work Making a conscious effort to greet others and communicate effectively can build stronger relationships, establish a positive tone, and advance our careers. How did the most memorable greeting you've ever received make you feel? — Like many software professionals, I struggled to communicate my ideas and value to others. But I didn't give up. Now, I lead technology for organizations. It's never too late to level up. I'm here to help you develop the communication skills you need to succeed.

A trap I used to fall into as a presenter, and what I've learned to do instead 10 years ago, if someone had asked me to deliver a presentation, here’s how I would have prepped: ➡️ Open up a PowerPoint template  ➡️ Dump thoughts in  ➡️ Pull in content from other decks  ➡️ Write paragraphs into a script  ➡️ Feel lost in too many ideas  ➡️ Deal with it by reshuffling slides and fiddling with formatting  ➡️ Find something else to work on until the last minute when I was forced to take a hacksaw to it and cut things out This seemed pretty normal and efficient, because at least I was diving straight into prepping the deck. But the cracks of this approach began to show when I was in a Customer Success role at a startup, leading weekly webinars and workshops for managers in tech companies. I loved actually delivering the presentations and being with customers. But the lead-up was unfocused, unmoored, and overwhelming. How’d I get out of the trap? 💡 A mentor challenged me to play the "Why does it matter?" game as my first step to preparing for presentations. And doing this BEFORE putting together any slides or notes. So much got better when I started anchoring my prep this way. I’ll play out a quick example from my Customer Success role at the startup: I’d be invited to lead a launch event for managers and walk them through our e-learning platform. I'd ask myself: Why does that matter? 🟢 So that the managers are familiar with when and how to use our platform. Why does that matter? 🟢 So that they use it regularly. Why does that matter? 🟢 So that they benefit from the valuable guidance in our videos and articles. Why does that matter? 🟢 So that they feel less lost in their roles and waste less time and energy troubleshooting situations alone. Why does that matter? 🟢 So that they focus more time and energy on actually developing their team members and delivering results in their roles. ⚡️ You can keep going with this until you strike something that speaks to a meaningful pain point and / or goal for your audience. Prepping like this helped me in loads of ways: 🟣 I could frame meetings and talks in terms that mattered for the people in the room. 🟣 That meant people were more engaged and willing to give their attention vs giving me the chilly “I’m here because I was told to be” vibe 🟣 I was more efficient putting my notes and materials together -- I could distill main messages and then make my visuals / prompts after 🟣 This meant my trust in myself and my confidence at every stage, from prep to delivery to getting feedback after, went way up. If you start by diving straight into slides or writing a big script and feel overwhelmed in the process, try starting instead with a quick round of: "Why does that matter? So that...". 5 minutes of that high-quality thinking could save you loads of time and energy down the line. It’s a gift to yourself and to the people you’re speaking with 👍🏼

Was it something I said?! Don’t worry I’m not going all needy on you - this is actually one of the BEST questions you can ask your clients. When? Right after they sign up. How? Onboarding questionnaires, 1-1, email - it doesn’t matter, just ask it! Why? If you can pinpoint the exact messages, phrases, examples that are bang on point and driving your perfect people to take action - you can use them more and attract more people 😊 Comment below - Do you do this? Have the results surprised you? Or, if you don’t correctly ask - how could you build it into your process?

The Importance of Cross-Functional Communication Startups often face challenges with cross-functional communication. Ensuring that marketing, operations, and product teams are aligned is key to smooth scaling. 📈 Effective cross-functional communication can: - Accelerate decision-making - Reduce errors - Improve team morale How do you ensure your teams are always on the same page? https://lnkd.in/ezNtNNRQ #TeamCollaboration #StartupSuccess #CommunicationSkills #BusinessGrowth #AgileTeams #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovationCulture #WorkplaceHarmony

Onboarding myth: senior hires need less support. Reality: they need different support. Here's an account of a successful senior manager onboarding from one of my product research interviews: • Tech company, 500 employees • Onboarding duration: 3 months Week 1-4: Context gathering Week 5-8: Small cross-functional projects Week 9-12: Leads first major initiative Key outcomes: • Time to first strategic impact: 5 weeks • Cross-departmental connections made: 15 • New perspectives shared: 9 (how many times they were able to provide thier voice and ideas in different meetings during onboarding) • Team alignment score: 8.5/10 Critical success factors: • Diverse touchpoints across org levels • Safe space for questioning status quo • Shared experiences with other recent hires Insight: Most valuable learning came from informal discussions with peers at similar levels, not from official training. Why? Because peers provide: - Unfiltered context - Diverse perspectives - Emotional support Lesson learned: Facilitate these peer connections early and often.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀! Connecting with a generation different from your own requires a shift in approach. The key? 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸. Not everyone thinks alike, and understanding diverse perspectives is essential for fostering a collaborative environment. In today’s video, I share one powerful tactic: In meetings, I make it a point to be the last to speak. This approach empowers everyone else to share openly, encouraging innovation and creativity. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆: 1) 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸: Embrace that different generations have unique perspectives. Listening closely helps bridge understanding and build stronger connections. 2) 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁: When you’re the last to speak in a meeting, it opens up the floor for others to express themselves. This approach encourages creativity and shows that you value their input. 3) 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸: Effective communication isn’t about talking more; it’s about understanding. The more you listen, the better you can adapt your message to resonate with different generations. 4) 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀: By encouraging everyone to share freely, you build a culture where innovation and creative solutions flourish. People feel valued, which boosts team morale and performance. 5) 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Recognize that each team member may have different communication preferences. Adjusting your approach helps ensure that everyone feels heard and included, strengthening team cohesion. Engaging across generations isn’t just possible—it’s powerful. Implement these steps to create a truly inclusive and innovative environment in your team! 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺? If your answer is YES, feel 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲, and let’s develop a strategy that builds trust and fosters open communication! 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 - Jason Miller, Founder/CEO Strategic Advisor Board 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 3-𝑃𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐵𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜 7 𝐹𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠. International best-selling book 𝘽𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝘽𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛, 𝘽𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙣𝙚 —available for free at growfast.vip

🧰 Tool Time 🧰 The Stakeholder Engagement Plan The WHAT I hear you say. I have recently shared this with my team and you should know about this too. It is a small but mighty tool that helps building your communication around your immediate and wider group of stakeholders. When should I use this tool? 1) When you start a new project 2) When you join a new team or company 3) When you get a new client 4) When you never did this exercise before How should I use this tool? 1) Create a list of all stakeholders you are working with. You can even start by just using job titles 2) Identify their level of influence. The level is determined by how much a stakeholder can impact or force decisions and actions 3) Identify their level of interest. This is determined how well does, e.g. your project align with their OKRs. Resistance is also a level of interest. 4) Place them onto the matrix The final step, the communication plan… Once you have mapped your stakeholders into each quadrant, you can build your comms plan. Think about: → Frequency, e.g. weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, ad hoc → Channel, method and style, e.g. email, thread, bullet points, coffee chat → Level of detail, e.g. top level vs. detailed or zoomed in on a single issue → Metrics of interest, e.g. metrics that align with Stakeholder OKRs → Topics, e.g. career progression, blockers, roadmap

5 Ways to Show Your Work Without Being Cocky Sharing your achievements shouldn't feel like bragging. Here’s how to promote your work with humility and impact: 1. Leverage Demo Sessions   - Gain visibility, network, and learn.   - Prepare well, be confident, and keep it simple. Share both successes and challenges.   - Example: I demoed a useful tool without much prep, and the positive feedback was overwhelming. 2. Share Your Design Before Implementation   - Save time, build credibility, and share your thought process.   - Share your design ahead of meetings. Encourage participation and listen.   - Example: Leading design sessions provided valuable feedback and improved my solutions. 3. Use Retros to Your Advantage   - Gain recognition and feedback.   - Use the Kudos section to highlight accomplishments. Be playful, not egocentric.   - Example: I automated tasks to save meeting time and shared this in the retro. The team appreciated it. 4. Share Your Work in 1:1s with Your Manager   - Ensure your manager knows your contributions.   - Use a PPP (Progress, Plans, Problems) template. Keep a work log for easy reference.   - Example: My shared document with my manager ensures they see all my efforts and provides a base for feedback. 5. Post in Cross-Team Slack Channels   - Increase company-wide recognition and network.   - Share insights and wins in relevant channels.   - Example: Sharing team wins in tech channels broadened my network and showcased our achievements. Remember, it’s about encouraging others to share too. Showcase your struggles and successes. Let's grow together! Reference: [Strategize Your Career](https://lnkd.in/gCmkG3Yf) #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalSuccess #TeamVisibility #KnowledgeSharing #HumilityInWork