PRODUCT FOUNDATION

Discovering the Right Course of Action: How to Make Tough Decisions

Navigating through Dilemmas to help to find the right Decisions

5 min readJan 9, 2023

The job of the product person is to find out what is right, not who is right. Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Product & Leadership Playbook

Play 4/196 — Thoughtful Disagreement

There are not many more challenging situations than having a hard conversation with your superiors, peers, and department leads, however, there is still a way to nicely overcome it.

Having a hard conversation with powerful people will carry the risk of conflict and disagreement. The other person may become defensive or upset, and the conversation may not go as smoothly as you had hoped. Additionally, there is also the risk of damaging the relationship with the person you are speaking with. If the conversation is not handled respectfully and professionally, it could lead to tension or even a breakdown of trust.

On the other hand, avoiding a hard conversation can also have risks. If an important issue is not addressed, it could lead to bigger problems down the line. It's one of the most difficult challenges in any Product position, however, the following steps worked out in most cases during my career.

“The only true way to resolve a problem is to face it and deal with it head-on.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson

Facing and dealing with problems head-on is important because it allows us to address issues before they escalate and become bigger problems. It also helps us to build resilience and strength. When we confront challenges and work through them, we develop problem-solving skills and a greater sense of self-efficacy.

Ignoring problems or avoiding them can often make things worse. For example, if you have a disagreement with a colleague, and you avoid talking to them about it, the tension between you may continue to grow, and it could negatively impact your work relationship. On the other hand, if you have a direct and honest conversation about the issue, you may be able to resolve the problem and move forward.

In short, facing and dealing with problems helps us to take control of our lives and make progress towards our goals. It allows us to find solutions and move forward, rather than being held back by unresolved issues.

With the following tricks, most situations could be handled, in some special cases People or Situation are like a Rubik's Cube handed over in the first time. It might seem to be complex, but with persistence, learning and good communication one can find the key to every situation's and every person's lock.

Prepare: Think about what you want to say and how you want to say it. Try to anticipate any objections or questions that the other person might have, and consider how you will respond.
Set the stage: Choose a private, comfortable location where you can have the conversation without interruptions.
Understand first: Initially focus first on understanding the other person, understand how he makes decisions, which data, process or any other factor he or she considers while reasoning with you.
Sum it up in blocks: A good exercise to get everyone on the same page is to take blocks of content and repeat it back to the person or persons you speak with and ask if this is what they meant, this is what they wanted to say.
Be direct and honest: Use “I” statements to express your thoughts and feelings, rather than blaming or accusing the other person. For example, “I feel frustrated when I don’t have enough information to make a decision” rather than “You never give me enough information to make a decision.”
Listen: Make an effort to truly understand the other person’s perspective. Ask clarifying questions and try to see things from their point of view.
Focus on the issue: Try to keep the conversation focused on the problem at hand and avoid getting sidetracked or bringing up unrelated issues.
Consider multiple options: Brainstorm and discuss various potential solutions to the problem. Remember that there may be more than one “right” thing to do.
Make a decision: Once you have all the necessary information and have considered all your options, it’s time to make a decision. Trust your instincts and choose the option that feels most aligned with your values and goals.
Ask and provide feedback: Setting the stage and being professional is very important, being respectful and provide valuable feedback in your communication will lead to success. Feedback is essential to be provided, especially the ones where one can act on, like: “with the data we have on hand, your reasoning makes it difficult for me to understand how this could benefit our customers. Is there maybe any other information you have not disclosed yet, which could help us to get on the same page?”

It’s also important to keep in mind that it’s okay to seek help if you’re having a hard time figuring out what the right thing to do is. You can talk to a trusted friend, mentor, or professional for guidance. Holding a wrong opinion about someone and therefore making wrong decisions instead of having thoughtful disagreement is one of the greatest upsets!

My book recommendation for a deep dive into the subject.

Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption

Discover how to drive consumer disruption and unlock hidden value for your business with the power of decoupling. In ‘Unlocking the Customer Value Chain,’ learn how to break traditional industry boundaries and create new opportunities for growth.

Link to buy the book: Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption

About the author:

Hi, I’m Lehel. I became a product manager to fuel my curiosity in technology and business management by creating digital products. My journey allowed me to dive deep into product design, user experience, business administration, and learning multiple programming languages. I have been fortunate to lead programs for successful Startups and Fortune 500 companies whereas a leader, my focus is on establishing a great product culture to help people strive by following servant leadership and radical candor principles. In my free time, I write about product management & leadership topics to document the learnings of my past 15 years in the field.

It starts with:

You can find me at lehelkakonyi.com as well…