The Worst Lies Are…
… the ones we tell ourselves.
I have found that this is often true in business, as well as life.
Over my career, I have encountered this - to varying degrees - in most companies I have worked for. I have witnessed it in my own behavior, the behavior of teams I’ve belonged to, and in the behavior of the leadership I have worked for.
The consequences of this behavior has resulted in negative outcomes, including:
The loss of time and money
Inferior Products
Focusing sales activity on less ( or un- ) profitable business activities
Pursuit of Value Propositions that do not resonate in the marketplace
Wasted Marketing Budgets
Misallocated Resources
Less-than-optimal processes and teams
Repeated Mistakes
These lies are not malicious. They are often wishful thinking, protectionism for a pet product, protectionism for someone’s personal position, or simply denial.
Ten Places Where Lies Manifest Themselves
In my personal experience, I have found ten areas where “the lies we tell ourselves” manifest themselves in organizations:
Marketing Effectiveness
Sales Pipelines
Customer Satisfaction
Product Fit
Competitive Analysis
Team Performance and Engagement
Cost of Sales
Cost of Development
Cost of Operation & Maintenance
Cost Allocation
The Role of the Product Leader
As a Product Leader, part of your job is to help keep your organization from succumbing to this trap. You need to be a crusader for truth.
It is not always comfortable, but by regularly questioning the ten items above and by shining a light on inaccuracies, you will greatly improve the performance of your products - and your organization.
I have found that there are five common traits of successful Product Leaders who embrace the “Crusader of Truth” role:
They are excellent listeners.
They ask hard questions.
They are data driven.
They are hard on problems and soft on people.
They lean into friction points and drive resolution.
The End Result
In my experience as a product leader, the first place where you see improvements that benefit your organization is in its decision making.
You will also find that that when someone is in the role of “calling out BS” that the amount internal mistruths is rapidly reduced.
This leads to more successful products and companies.
Be the change!