I created the Speed & Direction Matrix framework to simplify the complex transition from product manager to product leader. It stems from my observation that successful leaders act like drivers of a high-performance car: balancing speed (execution efficiency) with direction (strategic vision).
Dimension 1: Breadth (Direction) – Aligning the Company Vision
This dimension is all about setting the right direction. Here’s a breakdown of how product leaders should approach this:
1. Strategic Vision and Roadmapping
Discuss the need to understand and help shape the company’s vision, connecting it to product roadmaps.
Product leaders should collaborate with executives and cross-functional teams to identify priorities and market needs, aligning these with the product roadmap.
2. Stakeholder Engagement and Alignment
A strong direction depends on gathering input and buy-in from various stakeholders, including business, sales, marketing, and customer support teams.
Mention the importance of listening to different perspectives, identifying common goals, and facilitating open communication to avoid silos.
3. Empowering and Enabling Teams
Describe how product leaders serve as enablers. They need to empower cross-functional teams by providing a clear roadmap, goals, and resources.
Product leaders should create a structure that allows other teams to do their best work, by removing obstacles and promoting collaboration.
Dimension 2: Depth (Speed) – Leveraging Team Capabilities
The speed dimension is about how fast and efficiently your team can deliver. Here's how product leaders can maximize speed:
1. Understanding Team Strengths and Capabilities
Product leaders must have a deep understanding of their team’s skill sets, strengths, and limitations.
This includes knowing each team member’s expertise in technology, design, testing, and quality assurances
2. Setting Realistic Timelines
Speed isn’t about rushing; it’s about delivering efficiently. Product leaders need to balance ambition with realism when setting project timelines.
Discuss the importance of understanding technical complexity and potential roadblocks to set achievable milestones.
3. Promoting a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Product leaders should encourage a culture that emphasizes growth and learning, enabling the team to move faster over time.
By investing in team development, product leaders can optimize efficiency and productivity, allowing the team to accelerate delivery without sacrificing quality.
Achieving Balance: When to Prioritize Speed vs. Direction
Explain that a product leader’s role is dynamic. They need to evaluate the company’s current priorities to know when to push for speed or shift focus to realigning direction. For example:
If the product is already in the market and stable, there might be a higher focus on speed to capture market share quickly.
When the company is considering new product segments, a leader may spend more time on strategic direction, involving various stakeholders in planning and vision alignment.
Practical Application: Implementing the Speed & Direction Matrix
Outline actionable steps for implementing this matrix in day-to-day work:
Monthly Roadmap Reviews – Regularly review the product roadmap with both your team and cross-functional stakeholders.
Stakeholder Alignment Sessions – Schedule recurring meetings with key stakeholders to ensure alignment on product direction.
Team Retrospectives – Conduct retrospectives focused on speed to identify bottlenecks and improve workflows.
Cross-Functional Workshops – Host workshops that allow your team and stakeholders to ideate and share perspectives on the direction of the product.
Conclusion: Becoming a Balanced Product Leader
Reiterate the significance of balancing speed and direction, and emphasize that true product leadership is achieved when you can seamlessly navigate both. This balance helps in building a cohesive, resilient team and a product strategy that aligns with the broader goals of the company.
This structure will give your article depth, guiding product managers through the essentials of leadership. Let me know if you'd like additional points or more details on specific sections!
Product Leadership Self-Assessment Table
Dimension | Category | Description | Rating (1-5) | Improvement Tips |
Speed (Depth) | Understanding Team Strengths | How well do you know your team’s capabilities, skills, and limitations? | Conduct a skills audit and engage in one-on-one sessions to understand your team better. | |
Timeline Management | How effectively do you estimate and manage project timelines? | Work with tech leads to refine estimation techniques and build buffers for unexpected delays. | ||
Process Efficiency | How effectively do you streamline workflows, remove blockers, and promote efficiency in delivery? | Review team processes regularly and implement tools like Jira, Asana, or CI/CD pipelines to optimize workflows. | ||
Technical Understanding | How well do you understand the technical aspects of your product (e.g., architecture, tech stack)? | Invest time in learning from engineers or technical leads; take online courses if needed. | ||
Encouraging Team Growth | Do you actively promote a culture of continuous improvement and learning within the team? | Create opportunities for learning through training programs, mentorship, and hackathons. | ||
Direction (Breadth) | Strategic Thinking | How well can you define the product vision and connect it to the broader company strategy? | Study market trends and align product goals with the company’s long-term vision. Collaborate closely with executives. | |
Stakeholder Alignment | How effectively do you align diverse stakeholders around shared goals? | Build trust through clear communication, storytelling, and creating alignment workshops to harmonize competing priorities. | ||
Roadmap Communication | How effectively can you create and communicate a compelling product roadmap? | Use visual tools (e.g., product boards) to make roadmaps clear and engaging. Regularly update stakeholders on progress. | ||
Cross-Functional Collaboration | How well do you collaborate with other departments like sales, marketing, and customer success? | Actively participate in cross-functional meetings, encourage joint planning, and foster a collaborative culture. | ||
Empowering Stakeholders | Do you enable cross-team stakeholders to contribute and excel? | Provide clarity on goals and create tools/resources for stakeholders to perform better. Listen actively to their challenges. |
Comments