Product Innovation Series with Aram Melkoumov

Aram and Peter discuss how change management works and why an organization may consider lean change management. For change to be successful, there needs to be a certain mindset established in both employees and leaders. Plus, Peter explains how leaders should surrender to uncertainty when predicting the future of business and products. Peter talks about hiring consultants, leading by example, and challenging a fixed mindset.

Show Notes

Follow me on Linkedin for quickest product show updates, new episodes and highlight clips.

Key Takeaways:

0:00 | Introduction to Peter LePiane
1:30 | Keeping large remote groups engaged requires a strategy – and realism.
5:31 | Peter defines change management and what it encompasses.
8:12 | About internal cultural indicators (i.e. mindsets) that can stall change adoption.
10:56 | Deploying an experimental if/then orientation to successfully effect change.
19:21 | Change mindsets require leadership that embraces a surrender to uncertainty.
16:00 | Going first and being authentic about the result is hard but essential to change.
18:55 | All about MBAs: Peter’s observations about their role, utility and liability.
22:25 | Why (& how) some organizations excel at product discovery, where others flounder.
25:50 | Knowing Your Customer is a muscle that must be exercised regularly at all levels.
27:27 | Customer feedback is critical — and low-hanging fruit waiting to be plucked.
28:44 | Peter recommends tactics and trainings leaders can implement to foster change.
32:00 | In-house vs. outside consultants: Outsourcing change isn’t sustainable on its own; tools and strategies must be adopted/integrated internally as well.
38:36 | Peter explains his statistical model (“Estimatic”) for growth and how it creates
probabilities for a range of business outcomes applicable in both the corporate and
startup world.
43:15 | Peter explains why harnessing variables and associated cost estimates plays such a
critical role in product development.
45:14 | Product design without probabilities factored in is a recipe for failure.
46:08 | Final Words of Wisdom: Peter underscores that change can’t occur without surrender
to risk and vulnerability.


Key Quotes:

“Lean change management is really an experimenter’s mindset on top of putting together step-by-step templates that are basically … an if/then statement." [12:55]

“Lean change management transforms a very static, linear change model into something that is kind of living, breathing and adaptable.” [13:18]

“Learning is the precursor to ROI … It’s more steady-state change than steady-state status quo in terms of growth.” [14:47]

“The only way people can learn is through failing and learning about why that happened. And the ROI really starts to kick in once there has been enough learning.” (Aram) [17:46]

“Humans are not predictable and, if you think that they are, you’re most likely going to get bit either sooner or later.”  [20:47]

“There is an often unfounded fear (among many employees) of saying something wrong and damaging brand and damaging their own reputation.” [26:24]

“You’ve got to lead by change. Leaders have to be the first ones to put the (change) mindset into place.” (Aram) [28:12]

“The only thing that seems to teach us as humans is failure … The only other way would be to have someone influential in your life, maybe a mentor, go through the same thing.” [30:10]

“One of the hazards of the job (of consulting) is getting knife marks in your back.” [38:18]

“Thinking in terms of probabilities allows you to then get another lens (into product development) … validate where the risk is and then get curious.” [44:18]


Follow Peter LePiane:
 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterlepiane/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterlepiane
Koach: https://www.koach.net/en/profile/1022413541/show

What is Product Innovation Series with Aram Melkoumov?

Product Innovation Series is an in-depth interview series featuring product & innovation leaders from small startups all the way to Fortune 500 behemoths. Our guests share their battle-tested perspective on what prevents teams from shipping a great product.
The show is hosted by Aram Melkoumov, the CEO of Crowdlinker.