How Product Leaders Can
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For the scope of this essay, I will define Product Leaders as members of a Product Management function with people management responsibilities (e.g., Director of Product, Head of Product, VP of Product, etc.).
Product leaders and individual contributors must understand their responsibilities during OKR drafting to avoid getting in each other’s way.
Suggested tactics for what Product Leaders are supposed to do during (but not limited to) the definition of Product Team OKRs often read like this:
“Product Leaders have to provide the Objective.”
“Product Leaders have to tell a team what problem to solve.”
“Product Leaders must ensure the team cannot reach 100% of their goals.”
In my experience, it’s none of the above. At least not in such a narrowly defined way. Instead, if you strip away the tactics, it comes down to one responsibility:
All Product Leaders have to do during OKR drafting is to limit a Team’s Playing Field for the next goal cycle by providing Strategic Context.”
This can come in many shapes or forms.
Whoever is in charge of the strategy and OKRs defined at a company or business unit level must take the stage before a team’s drafting. If these aren't clear, you cannot expect a team to articulate their contribution to higher-level priorities. Having the chance to clarify the goals from the level “above” through a live conversation is crucial. And that’s a responsibility product leaders have to own.
Ensuring just enough overlap among teams is a tricky aspect for all larger companies. Instead of having all teams talk to each other individually, product leaders, as an overarching institution, can aid this by conversing with their peers. They should bring this context to a team’s OKR drafting, so they know what areas to focus on and where teams have to collaborate.
Instead of focusing on the values of a Key Result, the bigger benefit product leaders can provide is to challenge the nature of Key Results. It’s all too easy to get lost in the tactical metrics in front of you. Having someone help you see truly holistic measures of success is more valuable.
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Thank you for Practicing Product,
Tim
PS.: Three friends of mine released their books in the past weeks, and I believe you should check them out (non-paid, non-affiliate - just a fan of good work):
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