Building Bridges for Product Leadership in Southeast Asia
Reflections from Product Tonic Unconference 2021 #ptunconf21
How Do I Feel?
Joyful anticipation of what might emerge after the 4th Product Tonic Unconference! Each year continues to provide new learning opportunities to host using different mediums and balance the tension of extended online fatigue and open space energy.
What Happened?
This year, the intention was to have the unconference on the 42nd week of 2021 coinciding with the closing retreat of Product Tonic Lab Cohort 1. The theme was “Building Bridges for Product Leadership in Southeast Asia” with a sprinkle of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
From the Product Gin & Tonic Bali Retreat 2018, a topic around “Building Product Community in SEA (and beyond)” emerged which used the image of a rocket ship that needed a foundation to launch from.
A Rocket ship
It’s ironic that we finished with a drawing of a rocket ship as it reminded us of the importance of a launch pad or perhaps the foundation that helps the rocket ship launch into outer space.The elements that ensure a strong foundation and in consideration of what can be made on it for the Me and the We.
The fuel we would need to lift us all off the ground and the people, intelligence and planning that’s required to get people to a place and explore beyond the boundaries of planet earth and to continue to gain perspective to challenge our own inherent biases and assumptions.
If the drawing was indeed a schematic to consider the elements of the rocket ship then it certainly lends a few curious questions.
—
I pondered back then on the questions raised and have attempted to provide stewardship in the following years 2018–2021 with a group of volunteers who have provided their energy and time towards each stage of the journey.
Who helps design and build the ship?
The little learning steps we take start from sensing and extend very much into who we are and who we connect with at the larger systems and beliefs.
Learning from the future starts with asking:
- Are we doing the appropriate things now ?
- What is missing from the things we are doing now ?
- What should be our learning edge ?
With this container, many volunteers have pitched in to provide support across all the retreat and unconference landings. Together, the 240 retreat and unconference participants of 2018–2020 collectively generated 66 topics of interest with top 5 emerging categories around Product Team, Leadership, Community, Team Culture and Success Metrics.
What fuels the ship?
Bridging multiple groups increases our awareness of the larger whole that we are constantly designing for.
“A rising tide lifts all boats, a dialogue among product leaders in Southeast Asia to co-create community initiatives and raise the level of Product Management and teams. It’s time to spend some time in meaningful conversations.”
— Product Gin & Tonic Retreat 2018
“What If” emerging from the retreat has helped shape the interactions with different communities respecting their boundaries and involving them through invitation :
“… the different communities of practices worked together to think of the larger programs of work and conversations needed to contribute to lifelong learning via communities of practice, social causes and world/local issues.”
Where is the ship currently docked and why?
After 2 retreats and 3 unconferences, the ship is currently docked at Product Tonic Unconference 2021 together with Product Tonic Lab — a 6-month, interactive online-based program that focuses on developing product leadership in Southeast Asia through experiential learning.
Who boards the ship and why?
A total of 108 participants signed up for this trip together:
- 50 Returning PT retreat, PT unconference and PT lab participants
- This year saw a good mix of experience with 22 participants coming back from the 2018–2019 retreat to take part to share their experience.
- 58 participants coming from Southeast Asia communities of practice for product people
We started with a user experience fishbowl between Sander Veraar, Jeremy Ong, Tomas Li, Huishan Lim & Mike Dickinson sharing their experiences around :
- Check In — What words would you use to describe where your head is? And where your heart is?
- Self — Over the past year, how have you taken care of yourself?
- Culture — What do you think of this statement “Culture is the interactions and relations between people”
- Decisions — What is a significant decision you have made in the last year? How has it impacted you?
- Resilience — What is something you came across recently that gave you hope or inspiration?
- Check Out — What is your answer to life, universe and everything at this time in your life?
Teresa Thuy guided us on through a Mindful tea to check in with ourselves
Together the participants proposed and worked on 8 topics addressing
- [First 90 days] One-(Wo)Man Band 🥁: How to handle being the company’s first PM?
- [First 90 days] in a company
- [Self] How do you recharge/take care of yourself as you hold space for your team and move them?
- [Sustainability] For various sustainability, how can product leads transform charity model to social businesses (financial, impact, economic)
- [Impact] How to move from launching features to driving outcomes ?
- [Communication[ How to communicate the value/contribution of product management to the organisation?
- [Product Leadership] What do some of the best product leaders you’ve worked with look like?
- [Product Leadership] Designing your Product leadership journey
What is the next mission and what are its objectives?
We take a short break in December and begin our plans towards
- Product Tonic Lab Cohort 2 [April 2022]
- Product Tonic Unconference October 2022]
The final landing is scheduled at Product Tonic Derawan Retreat [April 2023].
What Did I Learn?
In the journey over 2021, a number of people have helped me to recharge and continue to hold space for the ever growing group of well over 500 people.
I’m grateful to have learnt and continue to operate in my learning edge from the following areas
- Theory U introduced by Pat Reed
- Open Space Agility via Daniel Mezick
- Facilitating Powerful Conversations I & II — The Thought Collective
- Training from the Back of the Room with Shane Hastie
- Systems Scribing via Kelvy’s Birds visual practice workshop
- Neuroscience of Change, Inside Coaching and Tapestry via Coaches Rising
- Somatic and real time composition with Cheryl Ong’s Body Stories
- Reflect, Rejuvenate and Recharge with Michelle Ow’s Chrysalists R3 Retreat
- #WalkWithMe to step outside to Nature and invite inside with Seri, Hon Peow and Jia En
- Cycling buddies who help provide continuous laughter in our De’Tour rides
How Does this Relate to the Real World?
I learnt this “If we do not manage our boundaries, we end up having borders” during Facilitating Powerful Conversations II and this has been a constant reminder that systems are largely uncompassionate and highly structural. The continuous need to create safe space for intrapersonal work creates safety and the awareness of choices to change habits.
As a gathering of a community of practices, we are guided by the spirit of learning and hence don’t see any particular need to compete against each other. In each landing, people remove their labels (as much as they can) and share experiences, challenges and ideas openly.
By providing a container at each event to name the topics, work gets done within the open space with self-management through the invitation sent.
The challenge presents itself however in spaces where hierarchies, labels often get mixed in which adds tensions in power, authority and permission.
During the Product Tonic Yilan Retreat 2019, we looked at Trust & Integration in creating meaningful communities. We came to agree there is a gap between what people say and what they actually do. In navigating three communities around Agile, User Experience and Product over the last 10 years, a number of challenges present themselves
- Many community organisers are frequently passionate about the work but eventually burn out if no next generation emerges
- Majority of community members are consumers, showing up with “ME” behaviours
- A very small percentage are generous and help navigate conflicts and help move towards the “WE” through their whole self
Read more : Designing Communities to forge meaningful relationships
What If? [What ideas sparked or change is possible?]
Do we have the patience and trust to invest in building deep and meaningful relationships first?
How might we share personal experiences that open up / challenge our thinking, to help ourselves and others learn / be inspired / be motivated / reflect, in a way that ultimately supports our self-growth?
Joon provided some insights on the importance of finding individual purpose aligned to organizational work and societal problems. As such, the Product Tonic Lab was born out of an attempt to help individuals invite leadership in themselves and connect with a diverse group of peers on a similar journey.
What Next? [How can I apply this?]
If you are interested in Designing your own Product Leadership journey, take a look at our next cohort starting in 2022. Share your interest here: https://bit.ly/ptl-interest
#ptunconf21 #dontpanicandcarryatowel
#purpose #impact #southeastasia
#producttonic #trust #outcome #network #inclusion #community
