Johanna Rothman, Management Consultant
Expert in Managing Product Development
Someone asks you for information and you don’t know the answer. Maybe a senior manager asks, “When can the customers expect this particular feature?” Or your manager asks, “How does this specific architecture work for our product?” A colleague or a person you serve asks, “Why are we doing this?” You might freeze and not …
Continue reading “Leadership Tip #4: Admit When You Don’t Know”
Have you ever noticed that other people want you to do “more” work? The work has risk—if you say yes to this work, you’ll put every other deliverable at risk. What do you say? You can address this request with a simple sentence: No. That’s it. No. It’s a complete sentence. I bet you feel …
Continue reading “Leadership Tip #3: Use No As a Complete Sentence”
We all like to think we use our value-based integrity to decide and act. And I bet you’ve seen people who don’t appear to use that kind of integrity. If you talk to them, they say they intend to do the right thing. However, they don’t always act according to their intentions. Here’s an example …
Continue reading “Leadership Tip #2: Do the Right Thing, Even When it Feels Uncomfortable”
You’re a middle or senior manager in an organization trying to hold on in these crazy times. And you just discovered you’re shipping the wrong version of the product. (Or your product doesn’t work or it has some kind of horrible defect.) Your customers are angry. Your employees are running around, trying to fix the …
Continue reading “Leadership Tip #1: Always Tell the Truth, Even When You’re Embarrassed”
Several of my clients have intertwined problems. Everyone agrees they want innovation: Which products and services the organization offers. (The project portfolio) What features the product offers, or the problems the product solves. (The product roadmap) In the team, to solve the problems in a way that will attract users/buyers/customers. (The team’s backlog and how …
Continue reading “Multiple Short Feedback Loops Support Innovation”
I’ve worked with several managers and team leaders over the past few weeks as everyone is suddenly remote. Every single person in a leadership position struggles with (agile) team transparency. These leaders think the team members work alone. (I think they’re correct.) The leaders worry that the team won’t finish the team’s work. (Correct again.) …
Three Tips for Coping When You’re Supposed to Lead We’re several weeks into the COVID-19 crisis, and we still don’t know much about the future. We have some data about the present. But the future? Nope. You might have a title with “lead” or “manager.” And, you might not be sure about what to do …
Continue reading “Three Tips for Coping When You’re Supposed to Lead”
Three Tips for Coping when Change Might Make You Nuts (Support Others) We’re still living in substantial uncertainty and chaos. We don’t know when we might be able to return to work. The kids are home from school for the foreseeable future. Where I live, in Massachusetts, all “non-essential” businesses are closed. (I did not …
Continue reading “Three Tips for Coping when Change Might Make You Nuts (Support Others)”
Three Tips for Coping when Change Might Make You Nuts (Start with Yourself) Given COVID-19, whatever we “knew” about our organizations or work is out the window now. I thought I might help with this three-part series about how you can manage in this time of crazy-making change. This three-part series is: How you can help …
Continue reading “Three Tips for Coping when Change Might Make You Nuts (Start with Yourself)”
3 Quick Project Portfolio Tips The second edition of Manage Your Project Portfolio is available now, in ebook and paper. I’m so excited. To celebrate, here are three tips to help you manage your project portfolio. Tip 1. Make your work visible. When I lead workshops to help people understand how to manage their project …