How ClubHouse helped me give answers effectively as a product leader
Know what and how to say intelligently in meetings is a skill product leaders need to master.
Stakeholders turn to us to understand why certain decisions are made. Our teams turn to us for advice on how to solve problems.
To practise giving more thoughtful and constructive answers, I would pretend I’m a panelist and try to craft a response. Even though stage fright is not in the way, I would draw a blank when the questions are vague. Even if I know the answers very well, I struggle to be succinct.
In awe of hearing the inspirational answers, it led me to analyze the common patterns on how good feedback is structured.
What is Clubhouse?
It is an app where people can host discussions. The moderators can invite speakers or invite the audience to ask questions. The ones that I’m drawn to me is the Q&A sessions.
What makes Clubhouse unique is there is no visual and you can’t see others’ body language. Your voice is the only way to engage the audience — from your tone to the choice of words.
With all the virtual meetings we’ve had during Covid, it makes it a perfect avenue for me to practise the communication skills.
Listen to the tone and choice of words
Even if you don’t know what you can contribute, showing empathy and sharing words of encouragement lifts the soul of the room. You will never go wrong when you strive to be human and be relatable.
Do they sound worried when speaking in a quiet and shaking voice? What are the adjectives they use repeatedly to describe their experience?
A scenario on how I plan to use to coach my direct reports:
You’ve said “I don’t know what to do” several times (signs of helplessness) — and you’re sure the stakeholders won’t take the news well (a hidden assumption)”
You’ve shared your communication plan and how to bring the project back on track. So I do think you know what the next steps should be — at least more than you think (words of encouragement).
I would also challenge when you say I’m sure (address the specific words used). This mindset will hurt your confidence when you deliver your plan. It is not about what you said, but how you said it.
Connect the different perspectives
Provocative topics come up all the time in meetings. In a recent room I was in, one investor said, “if a founder didn’t follow up with me within the timeline we established, I immediately delete their emails.” This light a fire on whether the disregard of the founders’ other struggles was fair. A seasoned CEO said this that dissolves the tension.
“Based on the discussions so far, I think we can agree on several lessons for the founders in the room. There are different types of investors. Some move fast. Some are more lenient. They got to where they are because of the way they’ve approached business. It depends on what type of investors you are working with and how they prefer to communicate (situations when both points of view can be right) . Use this to manage their expectations.”
I was stunned by how he was able to summarize the opposing opinions without calling any of them right or wrong. He enlightened the audience with a conclusion that all founders and investors can learn and agree on.
A scenario on I plan to align everyone on the issue we want to solve in cross-departmental meetings:
I think we can agree that our users are struggling to learn how to use our features. Marketing is suggesting using their in-app video because users won’t want to read the article when they are new to the product. Supports prefers a link to detailed articles with step-by-step instructions, so they can troubleshoot on their own. It depends on what our users are looking to do at the time. Giving users the right form of information based on what and how they learn is key.
Dig deep into what strikes a chord with you
Certain words in a question may remind you of a problem you’ve been thinking about deeply, a recent customer survey you’ve analyzed, or a resource you’ve read. Use this as a jumping point.
Be mindful of turning it into a monologue — which tends to happen when you are very passionate about the subject. Step back and think about how you can turn into advice that is relevant to the question. Use transition words like “To answer your questions about xyz. Wrap with saying the name who poses the question to make it even more specific.
A scenario on I plan to use this in a mockups review workshop to get sign-offs on design:
Your comment about “there are too many steps” stood out to me. It reminds me of a common theme I see in the NPS surveys recently: users feel overwhelmed with so many call to actions on each page. Bringing this back to what you asked why these steps are there is to break it up — so we can guide them from start to finish for each use case.
Ask for clarity graciously
If you are unclear on what the question is, others in the room likely feels the same. Asking for clarification before answering will avoid you from rambling with the wrong advice. Break up your questions — so it doesn’t sound like an investigation.
Some powerful phrases I’ve heard:
- I have a couple of questions — and it’s okay you don’t have the answers. This gives the person a way out It avoids them from getting defensive if the person misses the important details they should have given to you.
- That’s helpful context. Say this when they have the answers. This acknowledgment shows that you both have a shared understanding. With the additional information, you can be more focused on asking your next question.
- Tell me more about that. This is not a question — but it extracts more information.
A scenario on I plan to use this when asking for more details to troubleshoot when support report bugs.
Before I escalate this to the developers, could you share how you got to that error message? It’s okay if you have to go back to the customers.
(After support provided the rough yet still vague details) That’s a great start to get the investigation going — because it tells me which team to talk to. So my follow up questions would be
Summary
Adding value to conversations requires active listening. Listen to what is NOT being said to get a feel of the emotions the other side is experiencing. Including everyone’s input is just as beneficial as coming up with an intelligent answer on your own.
