Ross Webb, MBA’s Post

Strategic Storytelling for product leaders was a fab session yesterday with TopProds community led by Ross Webb, MBA I love the takeaways below. I’m always intrigued and impressed with what people learn from my talks… helps me refine the message also. An amazing feedback loop. Thanks again for inviting me 💪🏻 —— My focus is on bridging worlds within organisations and sectors with a focus on creating amazing customer & product experiences. I’m passionate about bringing an element of creativity back into to the product conversation. 📞 DM me if you want to know more. Available for consulting gigs (short term / long term / fractional engagements) #productstrategy #productmanagement #digitalproduct #storytelling #leadership

Feeling Drained as a Product Manager? Excited to share the latest TalkInTen episode, recorded live from PRODUCTIZED 2024! This time, Ben Maynard sat down with Rich Mironov, a veteran product management expert and author of The Art of Product Management. 🌟 In this insightful conversation, Rich delves into a topic that often goes unspoken in the world of product leadership—the emotional side of product management. From tackling imposter syndrome to finding purpose, Rich shares how product leaders can rediscover joy in their work and bring empathy to their teams. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: 💡 Embracing the Emotional Rollercoaster: Understand why accepting the ups and downs of product management is crucial to long-term success. 🎯 Finding Joy Amidst Challenges: Learn strategies for staying fulfilled and motivated, even when facing tough times. 🤝 Empathy-Driven Leadership: Discover how leading with empathy can help you support your team and deliver user-centred products. 👉 Whether you’re a seasoned product manager or just starting out, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you find joy in your product journey! 🎧 Listen now and let us know what brings you joy in your role. And don’t forget to leave a review! 💬 🌐 Use code PROD24 for 15% off Sheev - Successful Outcomes By Connecting Purpose to Your Products & People training courses—empower your team with clarity, alignment, and purpose-driven success! #ProductAgilityPodcast #TalkInTen #Productized2024 #ProductLeadership #EmpathyInProduct #JoyInProductManagement #SheevTraining

Impactful Teams and Low Stress Sounds like the impossible? Not for James Louttit In this week's episode, James shares practical tools and strategies from his debut book "Leading Impactful Teams" to enhance project & team effectiveness. Are you not in the project game? Keep reading. James's advice goes far beyond traditional projects. Ben Maynard and James discuss strategies that can drastically improve project outcomes and team dynamics, offering insights from enhancing stakeholder engagement to integrating fun with productivity for holistic project and product management. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: 🔍 Defining Value: Exploring the nuances between objective and subjective metrics. 🔍 Business Value Calculations: Delve into the mathematics that can save time and elevate efficiency. 🔍 Mastering Communication: Techniques for clearer, more effective team interactions. 🔍 Project vs Product Management: Insights into navigating these overlapping disciplines. 🔍 Managing Dependencies: Strategies to tackle project dependencies head-on for smoother workflow. 🔍 Maximising Productivity: Tips for using the 'Done List' to boost productivity. 🎧 Hear James reveal the strategies that will equip you with the tools to drive significant results within your teams and projects. Tune in for focused discussions on innovative approaches tailored for today's dynamic environments. Listen to the full episode now and enhance your leadership and project management skills. 💬 We’re eager to hear your thoughts! What strategies have you found most effective in managing your projects? #ProjectManagement #Leadership #Innovation #JamesLouttit #ProductAgilityPodcast #ProfessionalGrowth #TeamDynamics

Having Ryan Johnson, Chief Product Officer at CallRail, on the Product Thinking podcast this week was an absolute treat. Our conversation took me back to my own journey as a product leader, and some aha moments I had along the way. The biggest one being that a CPO cannot set a product strategy alone. A huge part of being effective in the role is rallying your peers in the executive team around the creation of the product strategy and business strategy. Ryan and I covered a lot of ground, discussing the importance of working together and being open in product management. We also talked about how the role of Chief Product Officers is changing and why storytelling is so important in meetings nowadays. Here's a rundown of what we talked about: 🕙 Transitioning from VP to Chief Product Officer: We discussed how leadership perceptions change, emphasizing the importance of partnership over authority. 🚀 Tips for Aspiring Chief Product Officers: We explored the value of financial literacy and building internal relationships. 📊 Storytelling in Meetings: We highlighted the shift towards collaborative storytelling in modern meetings. As the role of Chief Product Officer continues to evolve, what key quality do you think is essential for success in this position? Share your thoughts and insights! #ProductThinking #ProductManagement #LeadershipInsights

The other day, I was watching a podcast where two product managers and two engineers discussed their working relationships. One product manager mentioned something called the Storytelling Method, and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks. The idea is simple but impactful: it focuses on framing product features and requirements as stories instead of rigid specifications. This approach: Builds empathy by putting the end user at the center of discussions. Encourages collaboration as engineers can better understand the "why" behind a feature. Simplifies communication by presenting the problem in a relatable, engaging way. Instead of just saying, "We need to add X feature," we ask, "Imagine our user navigating this challenge. How can we make their experience seamless?" This perspective unlocks creativity and brings the team closer to a shared vision.  It’s about seeing the feature through the eyes of the end user, almost like telling a story. This really resonated with me, so I brought it up with a few of my engineers. Their feedback? They loved it! I’ve decided to adopt it in my workflow, and I can’t wait to see how it transforms our discussions and feature-building. I haven’t started using it fully yet, but I’m excited to dive in. I’ll definitely share how it goes once we’ve had some time with it. If you’ve ever tried the storytelling approach (or anything similar), I’d love to hear how it worked for you. Let’s swap ideas, I’m always eager to learn! #ProductManagement #Collaboration #Storytelling #product #productstrategy  

Why are so many #roadmaps so boring? Wake up your dull document! Phil Hornby will introduce you to several new visual styles to deliver your message and keep the audience engrossed. #ChiefProductOfficer #CPO #ProductManagement #ProductManager @philhornby

Excited to share Talking Roadmaps Episode 64: "Is There Just One Way to Roadmap?" 🎙️ I had the chance to listen to Greg Prickril unpack his years of experience in product management and roadmapping. He really gets into what makes a roadmap work—balancing strategy, stakeholders, and that all-important storytelling element. If you’ve ever struggled with reactive planning, aligning on strategy, or even just presenting a roadmap that resonates, this episode is for you. Greg’s insights had me reflecting on my own approach! 📺 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eFn_-HtS Would love to hear your thoughts—what’s your biggest takeaway from Greg’s perspective? #TalkingRoadmaps #ProductManagement #Roadmapping #Strategy #StakeholderAlignment

Always a pleasure talking to Justin Woods and happy to share my thinking on this critical topic. Roadmaps are not about PMs! They're about stakeholders. Key Thoughts • Roadmaps as Strategic Tools: A roadmap should align with a clear strategy, showing what value will be delivered and when, while reflecting what actions will and won’t be taken. • Roadmaps for Stakeholders: Different stakeholders (e.g., internal teams, leadership, customers) need tailored roadmap versions to meet their specific needs. • B2B vs. B2C Roadmapping: B2B roadmaps often serve as promises to clients, unlike B2C roadmaps, which focus more on internal development and market release plans. • Ownership and Alignment: Product management must own the roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategy and accountability across teams. • Strategic Differentiation: A roadmap should include items that not only meet current customer needs but also differentiate the product for future market positioning. • Avoid Generalized Advice: Roadmaps must be context-specific; generic advice like "don’t include dates" often fails to address real stakeholder needs. • Analytics in Roadmaps: Use simple metrics to evaluate how much of a roadmap is strategic, reactive, or focused on existing versus future customers. • Customer Absorption of Change: Release cadences must consider a customer’s ability to absorb changes, especially in complex B2B contexts. • Presentation Matters: A roadmap’s impact relies heavily on effective storytelling during presentations to align and inspire stakeholders. • Adaptability and Nuance: Roadmaps and product management approaches must reflect business and market realities, avoiding rigid templates or over-generalizations. Wolfgang Hilpert Gwyn Clay Marco Tillmann #product #productmanagement #prodmgmt #productroadmap

Why are so many #roadmaps so boring? Wake up your dull document! Phil Hornby will introduce you to several new visual styles to deliver your message and keep the audience engrossed. #ChiefProductOfficer #CPO #ProductManagement #ProductManager @philhornby

🚀 New Episode Alert! 🚀 🎙️ Talking Roadmaps Episode 64: "Is There Just One Way to Roadmap?" In this thought-provoking discussion, Greg Prickril dives deep into the art and science of roadmapping. From aligning strategy to stakeholder value to mastering the storytelling behind your roadmap, this episode is packed with actionable insights for product leaders at every level. 📺 Tune in now: https://lnkd.in/eZHABDra 💡 What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to roadmapping? Share in the comments! #TalkingRoadmaps #Roadmapping #ProductManagement #Strategy #StakeholderAlignment