From my perspective, product strategy includes both "where to go" and "how to get there." The "how to get there" aspect heavily focuses on the process part.

Having a strategy becomes futile if it cannot be effectively implemented, which is why these two elements always go hand in hand for me.

I don't subscribe to the belief that leaders should solely be visionaries. Being a leader is a challenging task, and often, it requires organizing work in a way that generates impact.

The easiest solution is to divide responsibilities among team members. Often, Engineering Managers excel in process and delivery, while Product Designers have a knack for product vision. By working as a team, we can effectively cover most areas. 

If a person wishes to develop these skills individually, I offer them to work on a product case. 

Imagine you are leading a complex product delivery involving numerous stakeholders. However, decision-making within the large group is slow, and so is the overall progress. You doubt you can launch on time like that. How would you improve the situation? 

I ask them to ponder over this for a while, prepare an answer, and then we discuss it during our next session. Obviously, each case can be solved in multiple ways, but there are best practices and things to avoid.

We run these simulations, and then I ask, "Considering your regular work, what aspects from the case we just discussed do you think you can apply?" 

I have written over 40 of these cases over time, each addressing a competency, such as product decision-making, consumer science, leadership, and so on. You can find more information about the competencies 

Dani Pavlu

With this matrix I depict how personal and interpersonal skills show up in the workplace based on competencies. This can be used to identify areas of growth and practice the skills with product cases. 

Personal and Interpersonal Skills Matrix at TIER Mobility

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