PRODUCTHEAD: Theory versus practice

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tl;dr

‘Good’ product practice is boring – good and useful progress without drama

So you can build your own digital services. What’s next?

Corporate values can be more revealing than might appear

There’s a tension between what can do and what you should be doing

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hello

This week’s PRODUCTHEAD is a sandwich of articles by John Cutler, Scott Colfer and Louise Deason.

The first from John Cutler does admittedly boil down to a lots of ‘it depends’, however, as he starts out by explaining, his unpolished opinions make a change from his usual, polished thinking. Bear in mind that John has had exposure to so many teams and companies and ways of working over the years that even his ‘hot takes’ are going to be more insightful and considered than most commentators.

Scott Colfer reflects on what we do now that organisations are (for the most part) better equipped to deliver user-centred, well-designed digital services without having to commission them from external providers. He argues that building this capability was merely a step on the path to broader organisational change, and asks what is needed to complete that cycle.

Louise Deason has a scathing article that demolishes the fluffy, aspirational values that often adorn the walls of companies everywhere. Like the chancer who has to start every sentence with “to be honest…” precisely because he rarely is, Louise asserts that every corporate value is a declaration of what they are not. Cathartic, but slightly depressing.

The second article from John Cutler is well-timed. I would guess that when you read this after returning from your break, you’ll be just about to dive into annual planning that was probably postponed until everyone was back in the office. If you’ve ever felt that what should have been the most important thing to work on was not prioritised for *reasons*, then this article should resonate. John talks through that tension and suggests that a closer evaluation of things we can do and should do.

Welcome back :-)

Speak to you soon,

Jock

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what to think about this week

20 Unfiltered Operating Takes

I had a friend reach out recently for advice. He said something funny/telling. “Half the time I don’t know what you really think. I have to figure out how my team works. What is your actual, opinionated advice?” So here it is: advice for a friend on how to operate. Raw. Not “polished John”.

How practice compares with the theory

[John Cutler / The Beautiful Mess]

The Next Era of Digital

One of the most useful leadership questions I know is deceptively simple:

What has become abundant, and what has become scarce?

From delivering software to finishing change

[Scott Colfer / Product in Service]

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Your Company Values Page Is a Confession

First, the one law that governs the whole document, because once you clock it you cannot unclock it. A company does not put a value on the wall because it has that value. It puts it there because it is quietly shitting itself that it does not. You never need to remind people to do the thing they already reliably do. Nobody has “we breathe” on the wall.

Stated corporate values are an x-ray, not a mirror

[Louise Deason / Technically Feasible]

Tension-Based Prioritization (A Non-Framework)

I’ve come to believe that teams can prioritize much more effectively by focusing less on the specific things they’re prioritizing (which will naturally be important, and will naturally get attention) and more on the tensions they’re observing and acting out day after day.

You instinctively know what you should be doing, and yet …

[John Cutler / The Beautiful Mess]

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PRODUCTHEAD is a newsletter for product people of all varieties, and is lovingly crafted from everything being on fire.