Leading Product Teams

Leading Teams &
High Performance
Organizations
Jane Cusenza Creech, Strategic Business Systems

jcreech@strategicbizsys.com
March 21, 2012
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Agenda
• Teams within a Product Development “System”
• Calibrating our definition of “Team”
• Four essential Teamwork elements; operating within an
environment/culture conducive to teams
• Interpersonal effectiveness: Foundation for respectful and
trusting relationships
• Other key contributing aspects
– General Management attitude
– Empowerment
– Leadership
– Peer review
– Recognition & Rewards
© 2011 UC Berkeley 2
New Product Development (NPD)
System
Planning Product
Development
Product Planning
Business Process
Strategy Technology Planning Team & System
MRD/
PRD/ Development
Technology Development FRD
Launch Peer Leverage

reviews Learnings
Kickoff
Business Cross Functional
Management Team-work &
Product Mgt.
Functional
Timeline Excellence
Functions and Resources
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Planning
• The Technology strategy and Product

Planning that flows directly from a company’s
Business Strategy
• Translates Business Strategy into key capabilities/

competencies (architecture, intellectual property)
and value-added solutions to customer needs
(commercial products and/or services)
• Product Portfolio and Roadmaps as outputs
Product Development Process
• The stages/phases a product passes through,

in sequence and with specific phase entry and
exit criteria, as it progresses from Concept to
End of Life
• Generally details the deliverables required,

by Function, by Phase
• Note: Often the process exists (is documented)

but is routinely ignored and/or logical/
necessary exceptions are not accounted
for, noted or communicated
Business Management
• How and who monitors progress against the

Product Development Process over the product
lifecycle within the larger context of other products
being developed or already in production
• Explicitly defines the role of Management and

delegated decision making throughout the Product
Development System, with greater involvement of
Senior Management in early phases vs. later ones
• Includes keeping simultaneous view of individual

product progress against Roadmaps and cross-
business portfolio implications as well as
implications to achievement of Strategy
Functional Excellence
• How functions exercise accountability by

ensuring organizational execution to
their functional deliverables as called out
in the Product Development Process
• Also assumes intra-functional process

excellence, tools, and development of
functionally capable talent able to serve
effectively on Product Teams
• Must also accommodate the “run the

business” functional aspects inherent
in any business endeavour
Ongoing Team & NPD System
Development
• Effective selection, kickoff and launch of cross-

functional Teams in a timely manner
• Ensuring initial and ongoing interpersonal

effectiveness and results on these Teams -
learning to be a team and getting through
challenging times/decisions intact
• Ongoing enhancement of all system elements -

continuous improvement to institutionalize
best practices
• Managing reward & recognition aspects

• Leveraging learning throughout the company
A Culture of Teamwork –
Essential Environmental Aspects
• Empowered to make decisions and act
• Accountability for producing results

• Management by exception: Decision authority at team level
• Appropriate risk taking
• Rewards commensurate with exceptional results

• Understanding of the entire business by all
• General management attitude and action
Teamwork in Product Development
• Accountable, cross-functional set of individuals,

specifically selected to make decisions on behalf of the
Product for their particular Function. Members
function as “extensions of Executives”
• Product Teams work together to ensure a “general

management” outcome for the customer and the
company by making informed, cross-functional
tradeoffs and managing program risk effectively
• In high performing organizations, Functions “serve”

the Teams. Silo thinking is frowned upon as all
members of the company turn their attention to providing
the Teams what’s needed to delight the customer
Sample NPD Core Team
Dev.
Eng “Dedicated” members
(I know what team(s) I support)
Team Prod.
Leader/PM Mktg
Responsible for
decision-making as
“general managers”
Supply
Operations
Chain Ensure deliverables from
functions, by phase,
SW/ASICS unquestionably
“Team” Continuum
Collection High
Group Team
of individuals performing team
The Discipline of Teams
What are Katzenbach’s key “discipline” elements?
• Mutual accountability to a common purpose, goals and

approach (and the trust and commitment that follow)
enabling high performance and mutual achievement
• Right set of complementary skills to accomplish the team task

• “Rules of engagement” determined and followed
• Performance-oriented tasks and goals
• Continuous challenge of evolving information
• Time together
• Feedback, recognition, reward
Definition of a Team
A team is a group of people who

are committed to a common
purpose, whose interdependence
requires coordinated effort, and
who hold themselves mutually
accountable for results
Four Critical Ingredients in Teams
• Individual and collective

outcomes sought Goals
• Metrics of success
• Deliverables
• Accountabilities
Roles • Norms
• Meeting • Expectations
effectiveness
• Decision making
• Communication Procedures
and confidentiality
inside/outside
the team
• Interpersonal
effectiveness
Relationships skills
© 2011 UC Berkeley Copyright © 2007 Jane Creech 15

Questions Related to Goals
• What is the work we are doing together –

what is/are the outcome(s) we’re all
committed to achieve together?
• Do we all agree on what we’re

to produce together?
• What are the metrics for success for

what we’re producing?
Discussing and capturing these within a Team Charter gets the

team off on the right foot, with an explicit, agreed upon (and
usually negotiated) “contract” and direction with Management
Sample Team Charter
Context
• Problem Statement
• Some of the root cause issues
Mission and Objectives
• Deliverable (s)
• Timeline/Key Milestones/Gates/Criteria
• Measurement (s) of Success
Team Composition and Roles
Authority and Boundaries
Operating Procedures (Rules of Engagement)
Resources and Support
Decision Making, Negotiation, Agreement & Approval

© 2011 UC Berkeley
Questions Relating to Roles
• Who is responsible for what?

• What are the deliverables each
person is accountable to produce?
• Who’s doing what?
• Who is each person dependent

on in order to be successful?
A Closer Look at the Role of the
PM/Team Leader
We are generally skilled at identifying, monitoring, and
achieving the TASKS of being a PM.
Equally important, though, are the RELATIONSHIPS we build

within our teams and the Functions that support these teams.
T
A
S
K
S
RELATIONSHIPS
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Team Leadership Competencies
Personal/Functional Capability
Focus On Interpersonal
Results Character
Skills
Leading Change
Model courtesy of Zenger/Folkman
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Some Basic Leadership Styles*
A
S Style Leads Through
S
E
Direct Taking Charge
R
T
I Spirited Inspiring
V
E Considerate Group Harmony
N
E Systematic Careful Planning
S
S EXPRESSIVENESS
* The way a person usually behaves
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Key Procedures for Effective Teams
Decision Making
What process shall we use? Are we about consensus,
majority rules, deference to expert, or …?
Effective Meetings
Focus on making key, timely decisions together vs.
status/update; disciplined use of decision logs and action
items
Communication
Who speaks for the team, to whom, about what? (See also,
what agreements we make about how we’ll communicate
within the team?)
Relationships on Effective Teams
Connection
Do I know more about you than merely the function, skill
set, or perspective you represent on this team?
Communication
Do we all appreciate that working together effectively under
high stress and/or time pressure will require each of us to
be aware of and “flex” our preferred communication modes?
Are we all willing to practice ongoing feedback (giving and
receiving, +/-)?
Collaboration
As we work together, what adjustments might we consider
to make optimal use of each others’ unique abilities while
compensating for challenge areas?
A Teamwork
Exercise
Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Becoming aware of your own and the

preferences of others on your team
• Learning how to work with

differences, “flexing” your style to
produce outcomes greater than the
sum of the parts
• Learning how to optimize and

capitalize on the complementary
skills and styles resident on the team
Some Behaviors Characteristic of
Leading Without Authority
• Ethical: Clear about their values, goals, expectations. Do what
they say they will. Willing to admit to mistakes.
• Well-Connected: Know where to go for information and willing
to share what they know.
• Collaborative: Ask vs. Tell. Offer ideas as part of a broader
solution. Model behaviors they would like to see.
• Effective influencers: Pull vs. push. Not controlling,
manipulative or impatient. Relate personally, helping to bring
the vision alive for others.
• Conflict Managers: Able to look beneath conflict to identify
solutions. Know when and how to use different approaches to
resolve conflict.
• Learn From Experience: Continually examining +/-outcomes.
Use lessons learned to quickly adjust.
• Give and Solicit Feedback: Coach formally and informally and
see feedback as a natural part of building relationships.
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Dimensions That Influence Team
Effectiveness
• Clear and shared goals or purpose
• Effectively defined roles/responsibilities
• Disciplined team processes and procedures
• Supportive and empowering relationships
• Nurturing and challenging leadership
• Evolving energy and spirit
• Productivity and performance
• Complete, purposeful and uplifting communication
Truly great, effective teams revisit these dimensions on

an ongoing basis, never assuming they are “finished” or
that check-ins are not needed
Checklist for Evaluating Whether
a Group is a Team
• Is the group small enough in number to convene and
communicate easily, to have open, interactive discussion, and to
understand members’ roles and responsibilities?
• Are there adequate levels of complementary skills in functional

or technical areas, in problem solving and decision making, and in
interpersonal capabilities?
• Is there a broad, meaningful purpose that all

team members are committed to?
• Is there a set of agreed-upon performance goals?

• Is the approach to doing the work clear and shared,
making use of all team members’ skills?
• Do team members hold themselves individually and

jointly accountable as measured against specific goals?
Effective Team Characteristics
• Contributions made within the team are additive

• The team moves forward as a unit; there is a sense of team spirit,
high involvement
• Decisions are made by consensus
• Commitment to decisions by most members is strong
• The team continually evaluates itself
• The team is clear about its goals
• Conflict is brought out into the open and dealt with constructively
• Alternative ways of thinking about solutions are generated
• Leadership tends to go to the individual best qualified
• Feelings are dealt with openly
Characteristics of High Performing
Teams
• Alignment - A deep sense of vision or purpose that is shared
among team members
• Team Effectiveness - Strong internal processes that allow
coordinated efforts, such as shared values, trust, open
communication, flexibility, and decision making
• Empowerment - Feeling empowered to do what is
necessary; personal and collective power
• Passion - High and sustained levels of energy, enthusiasm,
excitement, and confidence
• Commitment - Deep allegiance to the purpose of the team
and to each other
• Results - Accomplishing outstanding results based on
high standards
How Do Teams Help New Product
Development?
• More effectively manage complex and short life cycle products
• Develop multiple products simultaneously
• Reduce development cycle time
• Leverage cross-functional expertise

• Make better and more rapid decisions
• Aid in communication, vertical/horizontal

• Develop general management capabilities and organization
bench strength
General Management Thinking, Acting
• Contribute by regularly asking tough

cross-functional business questions
• Often provide insightful new angles

for viewing a problem or opportunity
• Simultaneously keep customer and

company implications in mind
• Thing big picture, internal and external

to the company, and take a systems view
Accountability and Empowerment
• People must be willing and capable to step

up to acting as an “extension of Senior
Management” - results driven people
who execute regardless of roadblocks
• Must have or be able to exercise

effective cross-functional decision-
making capability
• Must trust and be trusted by Senior

Management - delegated authority to act
Leadership
• Each team member is expected to provide leadership

for their function on the Core Team. They should be
representing extended team members’ views
while weighing what’s best for the product and
company cross-functionally.
• Uses influence effectively, pulling rather than

pushing, with an overall outcome of aligning
people behind the cause, whether they are on the
team or merely aware of its work. Standard bearers.
• Effectively challenges conventional thinking, willing to

take calculated risks that influence product direction.
Catalyst of high goals for self and team
Peer Review Elements –
Team “Performance Management”
• Results
• Functional Expertise
• Team Process
• Leadership
• General Management Perspective
Team Compensation Is Tied to Team
Performance
• Rewarded for results, not merely phase

or program completion
• Rated as a team at end of each phase
• Conduct peer reviews against team

membership metrics
• Extended team bonus is voted by the

members of the core team
Team Recognition and Reward
• Based on “over and above” achievement
• Peer Review and Staff Rating driven
• Team Service constitutes senior level

development opportunity
• Access to and visibility of Senior

Management
Collaborative Cups Configuration
© 2011 UC Berkeley
Becoming a Team Player
• Be open to new ideas

• Be open to different ways of working
• Share what you know, have
• See alternatives
• Develop working relationships with
people from different functions
• Look for win-win solutions

• Join teams whose goals you highly value
• Be a reliable team mate
• Be results-oriented
Interdependencies
• Most teams are the recipient of the outputs

of other teams
• Most teams, in turn, produce outputs for

other teams along the value chain
• Knowing who you are dependent upon and

who depends upon you is critical to success
• Developing a network of cross-functional

partners who support each other is part of
a team member’s job
Learning Wrap Up
Most organizations have found that the power of

teams increases their productivity and contributes
to enhanced job satisfaction of their employees
What are some areas of teamwork you’ve learned

about in this module that you want to go back and
try with your team?
What questions, if any, do you still have about teams

and cross-functional collaboration?
Leading Teams &
High Performance
Organizations
Jane Cusenza Creech, Strategic Business Systems

jcreech@strategicbizsys.com
March 21, 2012
© 2011 UC Berkeley

Leading Product Teams

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Leading Teams &

Jane Cusenza Creech, Strategic Business Systems

Launch Peer Leverage

Functions and Resources

• The Technology strategy and Product

• Translates Business Strategy into key capabilities/

• Product Portfolio and Roadmaps as outputs

• The stages/phases a product passes through,

• Generally details the deliverables required,

• Note: Often the process exists (is documented)

• How and who monitors progress against the

• Explicitly defines the role of Management and

• Includes keeping simultaneous view of individual

• How functions exercise accountability by

• Also assumes intra-functional process

• Must also accommodate the “run the

• Effective selection, kickoff and launch of cross-

• Ensuring initial and ongoing interpersonal

• Ongoing enhancement of all system elements -

• Managing reward & recognition aspects

• Empowered to make decisions and act

• Accountability for producing results

• Appropriate risk taking

• Rewards commensurate with exceptional results

• General management attitude and action

• Accountable, cross-functional set of individuals,

• Product Teams work together to ensure a “general

• In high performing organizations, Functions “serve”

• Mutual accountability to a common purpose, goals and

• Right set of complementary skills to accomplish the team task

A team is a group of people who

• Individual and collective

© 2011 UC Berkeley Copyright © 2007 Jane Creech 15

• What is the work we are doing together –

• Do we all agree on what we’re

• What are the metrics for success for

Discussing and capturing these within a Team Charter gets the

Mission and Objectives

Team Composition and Roles

Authority and Boundaries

Operating Procedures (Rules of Engagement)

Resources and Support

Decision Making, Negotiation, Agreement & Approval

• Who is responsible for what?

• Who’s doing what?

• Who is each person dependent

Equally important, though, are the RELATIONSHIPS we build

Model courtesy of Zenger/Folkman

* The way a person usually behaves

• Becoming aware of your own and the

• Learning how to work with

• Learning how to optimize and

Truly great, effective teams revisit these dimensions on

• Are there adequate levels of complementary skills in functional

• Is there a broad, meaningful purpose that all

• Is there a set of agreed-upon performance goals?

• Do team members hold themselves individually and

• Contributions made within the team are additive

• Leverage cross-functional expertise

• Aid in communication, vertical/horizontal

• Contribute by regularly asking tough

• Often provide insightful new angles

• Simultaneously keep customer and

• Thing big picture, internal and external