Next year, I intend to establish cross-functional OKRs for our company. If my leadership can support me, I presume I will be the key force behind coaching and process planning, which includes making sure meetings are scheduled and prepared.
Anyone with that experience like to offer some do’s & don’ts?
– Flavia Bergstein
Discussion
A] I’ve started working on one such application, and this is what I’ve been doing:
Connect all ongoing projects with my North Star metrics (this comes from the vision, mission and strategy).
Establish the business objectives or OKRs that the product or SBU will be expected to meet within the time range that you have planned. For a quarter, I am. The business goals must be the source of this (requirement).
Get agreement from all stakeholders, including the leadership team, p&l owners, salespeople, engineers, and customers.
Prioritize projects by relating them to these outcomes, both present and proposed.
Execute and evaluate the outcomes on a regular basis. a regular newsletter
Hope this works well in your scenario too. All the best!
– Risa Butler
B] Here’s my two cents, some do’s and don’ts to consider when implementing cross-functional OKRs in your organization:
Do’s:
Involve all stakeholders: Make sure that all departments and individuals who will be impacted by the OKRs are involved in the process from the beginning. This includes both leadership and individual contributors.
Set measurable objectives: Ensure that all objectives and key results (OKRs) are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Align with company goals: Ensure that the OKRs align with the overall goals of the company and that everyone understands how their individual objectives contribute to the overall success of the organization.
Focus on outcomes, not outputs: Make sure that the OKRs focus on the outcomes that are desired, rather than the outputs that are produced. This helps ensure that the focus is on results, not just on activity.
Track progress: Regularly track progress towards achieving the OKRs and adjust as necessary to stay on track.
Don’ts:
Don’t set too many OKRs: Keep the number of objectives and key results to a manageable level, so that people can focus on the most important priorities.
Don’t set unrealistic objectives: Ensure that all objectives are achievable and realistic, given the resources and time available.
Don’t focus solely on individual performance: While it’s important to track individual progress towards achieving OKRs, it’s also important to foster collaboration and teamwork among departments and individuals.
Don’t ignore feedback: Be open to feedback and adjust the OKRs as necessary based on feedback from stakeholders.
Don’t forget to celebrate successes: Celebrate successes and acknowledge individuals and teams who have contributed to achieving the OKRs. This helps to foster a culture of collaboration and motivation for future achievements.
I hope these tips help you in implementing cross-functional OKRs for your organization!
– Eva Richardson
C] With OKRs, less is more. At the corporate level, you should only have three; any more will cause you to lose concentration.
The team/product OKR should align to the corporate OKR (s).
OKRs for each individual contributor should be in line with the team’s OKRs.
Choose personal or team OKRs that you have direct control over; avoid choosing OKRs that you have no control over.
Working cross-functionally can be a difficult task, and it’s essential to build strong relationships with colleagues from other departments. While I’m proud of the solid working relationships I’ve established with my cross-functional partners, there are still some areas that I wish I could improve upon. From communication to collaboration, I believe that these improvements would help make our inter-departmental relationships even stronger and more successful.
– Maire Hamilton
Discussion
A] If you’re asking for general advice on improving cross-functional relationships, here are some suggestions:
Foster open communication: Effective cross-functional relationships rely on clear communication. Encourage open dialogue and active listening between teams to better understand each other’s perspectives and work collaboratively towards shared goals.
Establish shared objectives: It’s essential to establish shared objectives and ensure that everyone involved understands how their contribution fits into the larger picture. This shared understanding can help teams work more cohesively and productively together.
Respect differences: Teams from different functions may have different priorities, timelines, and perspectives. Recognizing and respecting these differences can help foster a more collaborative working relationship.
Create opportunities for collaboration: Encourage cross-functional teams to work together on projects or initiatives to promote understanding and build relationships.
Celebrate successes: Celebrate milestones and successes with cross-functional teams to reinforce the value of collaboration and teamwork. This can help build camaraderie and strengthen cross-functional relationships.
– Dianne Stinger
B] I usually take pride in my ability to manage and establish relationships, yet I would change the following:
Doing everything in my ability to make the partner or stakeholder understand that things like empire building or becoming territorial won’t help anything and that we succeed TOGETHER. If I’m stepping on your toes, it’s not on purpose; I’m only trying to help because I see a chance.
Quit putting individuals in the wrong. Even though I’ve been thrown under the bus so frequently that the tyres now just sort of bounce off me, it still stings, especially after I’ve worked hard to assist a partner in meeting a need or solving a business problem. When we were in the office, it was much simpler to have a “coffee talk,” but I’m looking for methods to make stakeholder conversations less “planned” and more casual.
Be less of a bulldog and accept that I don’t have the solution to every issue. Anyone who asks my spouse about his biggest pet peeve with me will hear that it is my inability to listen sympathetically without offering advice or answers. Simply put, that’s not how I work. I need to do a better job of admitting that I don’t have all the answers and that my team members aren’t only disagreeing with me; they’re also attempting to support me.
The job of a PM is 80% politics. The years and scars have made me MUCH better at them, but I continue to grow daily.
– Pankaj Jain
C] Misalignment between project/feature scope and the actual deliverables can be frustrating, but it’s a common problem in many organizations. Here are some steps you can take to improve communication about project/feature scope:
Define clear and concise project/feature scope: Ensure that the project/feature scope is defined clearly and concisely in writing, with all stakeholders in agreement. Make sure the scope document outlines the deliverables, timelines, and key requirements of the project.
Set expectations and communicate them: Communicate the project/feature scope to all relevant stakeholders, including designers, marketers, developers, and project managers. Make sure they understand what is expected of them in terms of project/feature scope.
Hold regular check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins to review progress and ensure that the project/feature is on track. Use these meetings as an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Provide feedback: Provide constructive feedback to designers, marketers, and other stakeholders when deliverables are outside the project/feature scope. Be clear about what needs to be changed, and provide guidance on how to get back on track.
Use collaboration tools: Consider using collaboration tools such as project management software, design tools, and shared documentation to keep everyone informed and on the same page.
Learn from mistakes: When a project/feature scope is not met, take the time to understand why and learn from it. Use this knowledge to improve communication about project/feature scope in the future.
By following these steps, you can improve communication about project/feature scope, reduce misunderstandings, and ensure that the deliverables meet the project/feature’s objectives.
Context: I’ve been conducting user interviews with a number of PMs and people in cross-functional jobs while working on a product in the area of office collaboration.
Meetings take up a large portion of the time for PMs. But, when I bring up “meeting notes” in conversation, people immediately react with distaste and say, “I don’t take notes!” I then feel compelled to change the subject.
The plot changes at the very end.
I usually end the conversation by offering to assist (if they need anything). They would typically conclude the conversation by saying, “Let me send you follow-ups via email.” That baffles me. And that’s exactly what I meant when I mentioned that meeting notes should only include results of the meeting, such as decisions that everyone should be aware of, follow-ups, action items, or future steps.
Questions
Is “meeting notes” a derogatory term?
Is there a more appropriate phrase to describe “meeting notes”?
Do you record meeting minutes, including action items and next steps?
– Fergus Xavier
Discussion
A] This is the impression I have. When I take notes like that, I don’t feel like I’m “engaged” with my stakeholders. I typically bring a developer along to provide input and ask the developer to take notes. Devs appreciate being in conversations with stakeholders and I’m freed up to engage the stakeholders without stopping to type up the last five minutes of discussion.
– Kane Morgan
B] A note-taker is typically not permitted to participate actively in meetings and is not expected to do so. In the worst-case scenario, it’s just an elevated secretarial job. PMs frequently serve as meeting facilitators or presenters, which involves conducting a lot of information-sharing and/or information-receiving. I can understand how someone who actively participates would be offended by some variations of your question; it could imply that you have no idea what they do or why they are even in the room, let alone how they fit into the team as a whole. You wouldn’t inquire about a manager’s meeting notes because that is obviously not their responsibility.
Even sending out action items, which I typically think is a waste of time outside of extremely high-profile meetings and just another way to generate email spam, is typically the responsibility of a project/program manager or one of the more junior attendees. Nobody wants their duties to be viewed as subordinate, and product managers might grow very frustrated of being confused with program or project managers.
Why meeting minutes are even pertinent to your work is a mystery to me. Meeting notes are a solution, not a problem that must be fixed for the customer. The objective is to retain important information and any necessary actions. Larger actions are probably being recorded since quick actions should generally be carried out right away. But, “meeting notes” rarely record these actions in a location or manner in which I’m likely to find or use them.
In particular, if you’re conducting generic user interviews, I would put more emphasis on the user need than a specific solution.
– Anushka Garg
C] No, the term “meeting notes” is not inherently offensive. However, some people may have negative associations with taking or reviewing notes or may feel that it is not their responsibility to do so. It’s important to remember that everyone has their own approach to work and communication, and it’s possible that some people may have a negative reaction to the term for personal reasons.
That being said, taking meeting notes can be an important part of project management and communication. It allows for a record of decisions, action items, and other important details that may need to be referenced later on. If you find that some team members are resistant to taking or reviewing meeting notes, it may be helpful to have a conversation about the importance of clear communication and the role that notes can play in ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
It’s also important to note that not all meetings require detailed notes, and it’s up to the discretion of the project manager to determine what level of notetaking is appropriate for each meeting.
Some meetings may only require a brief summary of key points, while others may require more detailed notes to ensure that important information is captured.
Product management is central to Google’s success. Google’s well-established product management philosophy ensures that each product is created, managed, and improved to provide the best possible user experience. In this article, we will look at Google’s product management process, the roles, and responsibilities of a product manager, and how Google has succeeded in delivering some of the world’s most widely used products.
About 60% of interviewees cite The Empath as their product manager profile. For the most part, people who are drawn to product management enjoy relating to others. It’s super valuable — getting in front of an angry user, or stoking enthusiasm in a conference talk, or feeling the pain of someone troubleshooting, that takes courage and skill.
Picture yourself staring at an opportunity with negative thoughts streaming through your head like an endless Netflix series. You want to engage. Yet, your brain is telling you to run. You know you have other priorities, and this new product will be another addition to the list. But at the same time, you understand that the opportunity to make an impact is enormous.
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