7 habits of highly effective Product GTM Teams
Barnaby Wood, Director of Product Management GTM, Veritas Technologies
Expanding Time and Priority Management
In leading my global team at Veritas it’s fair to say, that managing time and priorities is a complex dance. However, the ‘7 Habits’ philosophy rolled out across our organisation in 2023 has been instrumental to me and my team. We’ve learned to distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s important, a distinction that guides my personal daily decisions. This means sometimes saying no to tasks that don’t align with our strategic objectives, even if they seem pressing.
But lets start by looking at the common time drains:
Multiple Roles:
As a team lead, wearing different hats is part of the job. But it’s crucial to define these roles clearly. This clarity helps me allocate my time effectively and communicate my responsibilities to my team, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Distractions:
In our fast-paced environment, distractions are inevitable. I advocate for a disciplined approach to managing these interruptions. This might mean scheduling specific times for checking emails or setting aside blocks of time for deep work without disturbances.
Fire Drills:
Urgent, last-minute requests can derail the team’s focus. I emphasise the importance of assessing the true urgency of these requests and balancing them against ongoing projects. This often involves tough decision-making but is essential for maintaining our momentum.
What action can you take?
Cultivating Work-Life Balance:
I firmly believe in leading by example when it comes to work-life balance. This includes setting boundaries like ‘no-email weekends’ and encouraging my team to disconnect after work hours. This approach has not only improved our well-being but also led to higher productivity and creativity within the team.
Frameworks and Models for Team Management:
I’ve introduced several frameworks at Veritas to streamline our processes. One such model is the Eisenhower Matrix, which helps us categorise tasks based on their urgency and importance. Another key framework is setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals, which provides clarity and direction for both individual and team objectives.
Velocity in Business Needs:
In the context of product management, ‘velocity’ isn’t just about speed; it’s about moving in the right direction. This means regularly aligning our tasks with the company’s long-term goals and reassessing our strategies to ensure they contribute to Veritas’s overall success.
Prioritisation Techniques:
Prioritising tasks is an art. I often use a two-dimensional matrix plotting ‘impact’ against ‘effort’ to determine which tasks we should tackle first. This technique helps us focus on high-impact, low-effort tasks that deliver the most value to our stakeholders.
This blog only scratches the surface of the insights and strategies I’ve developed but I hope they provide food for thought, as they did for my peers at the last Coterie Community virtual meet-up. They reflect my commitment to leading a team that is not only productive but also balanced and aligned with our core values and business objectives.
Find out more: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/
