Transformed

CHAPTER 26Partnering with Executives

Depending on the current culture, moving to the product model may represent a significant change in how the executives interact with product teams and product leaders.

Moving to the product model often requires significant cultural change, especially when moving from top-down, command-and-control leadership styles.

When we discuss the necessary changes, we mostly focus on the changes needed within the product and technology organizations. However, an important aspect of transformation is changing the dynamics and interactions between the senior executives and the product organization.

It's true that many product leaders and product teams would like to think this is as easy as saying to the executives “Please just back off and give the product teams space to do their work.”

But this ignores the reality that executives have very real needs when it comes to running the company responsibly and effectively.

And to push decisions down to product teams, those product teams need to understand the strategic context, much of which comes from the executives.

So, rather than reducing the level of interaction, in the product model, product teams need frequent, high-quality engagement.

What we're really talking about is the nature of these interactions.

You hope to interact in ways that provide executives with the information they need to run the business, yet empower the product leaders and product teams to do the work they are capable of.

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