PRODUCT LEADERSHIP

Gather facts, not just opinions, to make informed decisions.

Discovering the truth through research and critical thinking

Product & Leadership Playbook

Play 7/196 — Gather your facts before you communicate

How many times it actually happened, that you started making decisions, and forming opinions because somebody told you some information, and you considered this as a fact?

In today’s fast-paced environment, it’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and make decisions or communicate without fully understanding the facts. But, before you open your mouth or communicate key decisions, it’s important to take a step back and gather all the necessary information. In this session, we will explore the importance of gathering facts before communicating and discuss strategies for doing so effectively. By the end of this session, you will have the tools you need to make informed decisions and communicate effectively. Let's see first, what can hold you back, to get all the fine details you need from your team:

1. Communication barriers: Your team members may not feel comfortable sharing information with you, or there may be a lack of effective communication channels in place.
2. Fear of criticism: Depending on the situation, one or more members of your team are maybe hesitant to share facts or ideas that may be perceived as negative or critical, for fear of being judged or reprimanded.
3. Time constraints: Time is ticking, and you may not have the time to gather all the necessary information, especially if you are juggling multiple responsibilities.
4. Conflicting priorities: Your team may have competing priorities that make it difficult for them to provide all the facts in a timely manner.
5. Lack of trust: Without trust, in both directions, you and your team may not feel comfortable sharing information or providing feedback to each other.

But before one can turn the head and ignore the above issues, it's worth noting, that making decisions on assumptions and half details can cause tremendous problems on the long run.

1. Wasted resources: If a decision is made without considering all the facts and important details, your team will be working on, most likely on the false product or feature that ultimately proves to be unnecessary or unviable.
2. Missed opportunities: By failing to fully understand the market or customer needs, premature decisions can result in missing opportunities to create a product or feature that would have been successful.
3. Decreased customer satisfaction: If a product or feature is developed without fully understanding customer needs, it may not meet their expectations, resulting in decreased satisfaction and potentially negative reviews.
4. Reduced competitiveness: Without understanding the competitive landscape and industry trends, a decision, missing key details, may result in a product that is not as competitive as it could be.
5. Difficulty making future decisions: Once a decision has been made, it can be difficult to change course, which can make it harder to make future decisions that are more informed and better aligned with the overall goals and objectives of the product development process.

I am pretty sure, you know the famous quote from Mies:

“The devil is in the details.” — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Overall, “The devil is in the details” emphasizes the importance of paying attention to all aspects of a product, big and small, in order to ensure its success. By focusing on the details, product leaders can make smart decisions and ensure that the final product meets the needs of customers and is successful in the market. As a product leader, you need to focus on having the right relationship with your team, build constantly trust, have an open and honest communication and make sure, decisions are based on data. Here are a few areas, where you really need to pay attention, when making product decision, and you rely on data or your team:

1. Testing and validation: Go and take a look into the details during testing and validation, understand what has been tested and what is the outcome, it can help identify and fix any potential issues before the product is released to the market.
2. Design and development: Focusing on the details during the design and development phases can help ensure that the product is intuitive, user-friendly and has a positive impact on the user experience. Don't be afraid of running multiple review sessions, the goal is to find what's right, not who is right.
3. Integration: Reviewing functionalities and key outcomes, during integration testing, can help to ensure that the product is properly integrated and that any necessary changes are made.
4. Maintenance: Speaking with the team, which is in charge of the maintenance, and ask for details can help ensure that the product remains relevant, user-friendly and continues to meet customer needs.
5. Feedback and iteration: We build for customers, so having customer feedback and iterating on the product based on that feedback can help ensure that the product is continuously improving and meeting the needs of customers.
6. Data analysis: Always check your numbers, use data from various sources, such as customer feedback, sales data, or website analytics, to gain insights into how customers are interacting with the product and how it is performing in the market.

In conclusion, it’s essential for product leaders to gather all the facts and important details before communicating any decisions or plans. By taking the time to fully understand the situation and all the relevant information, leaders can make smart, informed decisions that are more likely to be successful. Gathering information through methods such as user research, data analysis, and collaboration can provide valuable insights that can help leaders make the best decisions for their product and customers. Remember, “The devil is in the details,” and paying attention to all the details, big and small, is crucial for achieving success. By gathering your facts before you communicate, you can ensure that your decisions are well-informed and more likely to lead to success.

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:

• How People Analytics helps to empower and manage tech teams?
• How to map business value with human capital?
• The 5 pillars of scaling cross-functional teams
• 12 Best Books to read in 2023 as a Product Leader
• How to set crystal clear goals as a Leader?
• How to Master the Art of Product Planning?
• The most important job of a Product Leader.
• Discovering the Right Course of Action: How to Make Tough Decisions
• 12 reasons, why successful product leaders regularly collaborate with their team members.

You can find me at lehelkakonyi.com as well.