Agile Strategy Development

One critical skill of great Product Managers is that they can take an immense amount of information and make sense out of it to find a path forward. Your job isn’t just to get the data, it’s to create action out of that data. But this is where many people get paralyzed. For product managers who struggle with this, I find tools like Affinity mapping extremely helpful to help organize your thoughts. Affinity Mapping is a basic facilitation and collaboration tool, but it’s extremely powerful. Put simply, it’s a practical way to sort through different pieces of data, group them into common themes, and discover valuable insights. Whether you're dealing with complicated user research or trying to get everyone on the same page, this method helps you focus and find your way forward. Here's how to run an Affinity Mapping session that's not just productive, but also a bit of fun: 1️⃣ Gather Your Data: Start with all the raw data you have – post-its from brainstorming, customer feedback, interview notes, you name it. Get it all on the table. Literally. 2️⃣ Invite the Right People: Bring together a diverse group from your team. Yes, diversity! You want different perspectives – designers, developers, marketers, and especially those who are often quiet but have brilliant thoughts simmering under the surface. 🧠 3️⃣ Create a Safe Space: Before diving in, set the stage for open collaboration. Remind everyone that every idea is valuable and we're here to discover, not judge. This is about finding patterns, not picking favorites. 4️⃣ Sort and Cluster: Now, get sticky! Start placing related ideas together. Don't overthink it. Go with your gut. You'll see themes start to emerge as you cluster similar thoughts. It's like a puzzle where the picture becomes clearer with each piece. 🧩 5️⃣ Label the Themes: Once you have your clusters, give each one a name that captures the essence of the ideas within it. These labels will be your guideposts for action later on. 6️⃣ Reflect and Discuss: Take a step back. What do you see? Any surprises? Discuss as a group and make sure everyone's voice is heard. This is where the magic happens – insights start to bubble up to the surface. 7️⃣ Prioritize and Act: Finally, decide what's most important. Which themes align with your goals? Which insights are game-changers? Make a plan to act on these priorities. Affinity mapping is not just about organizing thoughts; it's about unlocking the collective wisdom of your team. It's a powerful way to build consensus and ensure everyone's voice is heard. So, next time you're grappling with data overload, grab some sticky notes and start mapping! What else have you used to help organize your thoughts and data? #ProductManagement #UserResearch #Collaboration #AffinityMapping

Your Head of Product will tell you this: The best PMs aren’t product people. The best PMs are business people. Early in my career, I thought being a strong PM meant: ✅ Clean roadmaps ✅ On-time releases ✅ Backlog grooming like a pro I checked every box—and still missed the mark. Because none of that matters if the product doesn’t drive the business. Old way: PMs manage features, coordinate teams, and keep the engine running. New way: PMs challenge assumptions, prioritize by impact, and own outcomes—not just outputs. Before anything goes on the roadmap, ask: - What business metric does this move? - What customer problem does it solve? - Why now? When you start thinking like a business owner—not just a product owner—everything changes. Here are 3 ways to make that shift: ✅ Take the initiative to drive action. Don’t wait for direction—own the next move. -> Frame problems, not just solutions. -> Bring data and customer insights to support your case. -> Proactively align with cross-functional partners. 💡 Actionable step: Use a BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) to pitch new ideas: - What we’re proposing - Why it matters to the business - What we need to move forward ✅ Ensure the team knows the vision you’re pursuing. People don’t rally behind features—they rally behind purpose. -> Set clear outcomes, not just outputs. -> Anchor sprints to customer impact. -> Tell the story behind the roadmap. 💡 Actionable step: Start each sprint with a one-liner: "This week, we’re solving this problem for this customer because it supports this business goal." ✅ Prioritize by business impact. Great PMs don’t chase effort—they chase outcomes. -> Tie every feature to a metric that matters. -> Cut what doesn’t move the needle. -> Make tradeoffs visible and deliberate. 💡 Actionable step: Make sure every feature on the roadmap is linked to a prioritized strategic initiative. If it doesn’t ladder up, it doesn’t ship. Final thought: You don’t need an MBA. But you do need to think like a GM. -- 👋 I’m Ron Yang, a product leader and advisor. Follow me for insights on product leadership & strategy.

Strategy Maps: The Secret to Making Strategy Work Brilliant strategies often fail—not because they’re wrong, but because they’re too complex to execute The fix? Strategy Maps. They simplify, visualise, and communicate your strategy so everyone can act on it. ☑ What a great Strategy Map does: ↳ Connects the dots: Links financial goals, customer needs, processes, and capabilities. ↳ Tells a story: Explains strategy visually so anyone—from frontline staff to the board—gets it. ↳ Drives focus: Highlights priorities and eliminates distractions. ☑ Why simplicity wins in strategy: ↳ Complexity confuses; simplicity inspires action. ↳ When people understand the “why,” they own the plan. ↳ Clear communication turns strategy into a shared mission, not a leadership memo. ☑ How to build Strategy Maps that work: 1️⃣ Start with outcomes—tie everything to your mission and vision. 2️⃣ Use plain language—clarity beats jargon. 3️⃣ Show cause-and-effect—map how goals connect. 4️⃣ Make it visual—one page beats a 50-slide deck. The best strategy is the one everyone can rally behind—and Strategy Maps make that possible. P.S. If you like content like this, follow me for more!

I typically do not use the term “change management” (unless I’m working with a partner who wants or needs to use it).  “Managing” change implies order, planning & stability; the ability to forecast, direct & deliver outcomes. Yet very few change or transformation plans deliver what they set out to deliver, in the predicted timescales. We no longer operate in a stable world where we undertake a change project and move back to equilibrium. Our environment moves faster, acts in more interconnected ways & is full of ambiguity. Change is relentless & continuous. We need to focus on building adaptive capacity & creating a collective process, not on "managing" change as a discrete, manageable task.  Michael Hudson talks about shifting from “change management” to “change fitness”. He sets out three core leadership practices for enabling change: 1. Continuous sensemaking: This involves incorporating five minutes of sensemaking into existing team routines, understanding what is different or changing. Over time, this practice builds "complexity capacity" & the ability to hold onto multiple, often contradictory realities without becoming overwhelmed. 2. Strategic energy management: Treating people’s energy as a finite resource that needs to be deliberately managed, like any other resource.  3. Learning from navigation, not just success: Shifting from an outcome-focus to process-focus builds the ability to prevail in situations where the path forward is unclear. https://lnkd.in/eqQQM5FF Via Forbes. Graphic from Corporate Rebels.

Adaptability is not just about adjusting plans, it’s about how you lead when plans change. It's the ability to respond thoughtfully and quickly when circumstances shift , without losing sight of people or purpose. 👩🏭 It's the plant manager who adjusts production schedules in response to supply chain issues without blaming the team, and involving them in finding solutions. 👨🏭 It's the site foreman who calmly adjusts plans when weather delays hit, reassigning tasks to keep the crew productive instead of standing still. 👩💼 It's the store manager who rotates staff across departments during a sudden staffing shortage, while keeping morale high and communicating clearly. I've worked with people in all of these positions, and more. And every single person who showed real adaptability had a few things in common: 📌 They stayed steady 📌 They stayed human 📌 They brought people with them 📌 They kept things moving. And underneath that... 📌 They were curious 📌 They were willing to unlearn 📌 They paused to reflect 📌 They shared their ideas 📌 They didn't try to have it all figured out Are we developing these competencies in ourselves and others? How can we improve our approach? Leave your comments below 🙏

Rolling vs Static Forecasts Static budgets are killing your ability to adapt. There, I said it. Most businesses create their annual budget in December, then spend the next 12 months pretending those assumptions still make sense when everything has changed. I see this problem everywhere. Companies clinging to outdated numbers while their actual business reality shifts completely. The alternative? Rolling forecasts. But let me break down both approaches because each has its place: 📊 STATIC BUDGETS The old school approach. You build it once at the beginning of the year based on your best guesses at that moment. Characteristics include being set annually, using assumptions from one point in time, staying hard to adjust mid year, and focusing mainly on variance reporting. The benefits are real. Clear performance benchmarks, easier long term planning, and boards love them because they provide predictable targets. The downsides hurt though. They become outdated fast, can't adapt to market changes, and create that dangerous "set it and forget it" mentality. 📈 ROLLING FORECASTS The modern approach. Dynamic planning that updates regularly, typically monthly or quarterly, by adding future periods and dropping past ones. Key features include regular updates based on current data, continuous 12 to 18 month forward visibility, and direct connection to operational drivers like sales pipelines and hiring plans. Benefits include being agile and responsive to change, improving real time decision making, and helping anticipate both risks and opportunities. Challenges include requiring more ongoing effort, being harder to coordinate across departments, and feeling less concrete to some stakeholders. 🎯 THE VERDICT Rolling forecasts win for operational management. Static budgets still have value for board governance and investor reporting, but running your business day to day requires the flexibility that only rolling forecasts provide. The hybrid approach works best. Keep a static budget for external reporting requirements, but manage internally with rolling forecasts that reflect current reality. === Budgeting shouldn't be about hitting arbitrary numbers set 12 months ago when market conditions were completely different. It should be about having accurate, current information to make smart business decisions. What's your take? Are you still stuck with static budgets or have you moved to rolling forecasts?

When traditional leadership approaches hit the wall of 21st century change, many organizations stagnate, with innovation grinding to a halt and talent heading for the exits. Fast forward to transformative leaders — their organizations thrive amid disruption, turning unprecedented change into competitive advantage while competitors struggle to keep pace. The difference? These leaders abandoned the outdated "know-it-all" paradigm for a "learn-it-all" mindset — treating adaptation not as an occasional necessity but as their core leadership function. The Lesson? Leadership is no longer about maintaining the status quo—it's about continuous transformation and navigating complexity with agility. Common Leadership Adaptation Pitfalls: 📍 Cognitive Rigidity — Clinging to past success strategies instead of embracing new paradigms. 📍 Fear-Based Decision Making — Creating defensive cultures that suppress innovation. 📍 Resistance to Technology — Dismissing disruptive technologies instead of leveraging them. 📍 Hierarchical Thinking — Maintaining control rather than empowering collaborative innovation. 📍 Status Quo Comfort — Avoiding necessary changes until crisis forces action. ✅ How to Develop Adaptive Leadership Capacity: 📍 Intellectual Humility — Acknowledge knowledge gaps and actively seek diverse perspectives. 📍 Technological Fluency — Develop deep understanding of AI, automation, and digital transformation. 📍 Intrapreneurial Mindsets — Create safe spaces for calculated risk-taking and bottom-up innovation. 📍 Emotional Intelligence — Navigate complex human dynamics with empathy and self-awareness. 📍 Continuous Learning — Invest in personal and organizational growth as a strategic priority. Adaptation isn't a leadership challenge — it's the essence of modern leadership itself. 📩 Get practical leadership strategies every Sunday in my free newsletter: CATAPULT. 🧑💻 Want to become the best LEADERSHIP version of yourself in the next 30 days? Book a 1:1 Growth Strategy Call: https://lnkd.in/gVjPzbcU #Leadership #AdaptiveLeadership #FutureOfWork #ExecutiveCoaching #OrganizationalChange

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 Change is no longer a ripple; it’s a tsunami. And yet, most organisations are trying to tackle it with outdated tools and approaches. 💥 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵? Our way of “doing change” is failing. Over two decades as Head of People, Culture & Change, I’ve witnessed this firsthand. I’ve seen well-intentioned efforts unravel because we’re relying on the wrong playbook. We treat organisations like machines, where we “push” for change and “fix” problems. But in reality, organisations are complex human ecosystems. And these ecosystems require a completely different approach. Here are 7 reasons 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: We look for quick fixes instead of recognising the complexity of human systems.
 2️⃣ 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: We rely on IQ and EQ but neglect GQ—Group Intelligence—(sitting at the individual collective levels) which is the key to successfully intervening in adaptive ecosystems. 3️⃣ “𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼” 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: Change is implemented to people, rather than with or by them. 4️⃣ 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Thinking that software, training, or new processes alone will drive transformation. 5️⃣ 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: Believing upskilling is enough, without rewiring underlying patterns in the system. 6️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: Focusing on step-by-step plans rather than embracing the emergent, nonlinear nature of transformation.
 7️⃣ 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆: Targeting individual behaviors (the “what”) while ignoring how the system operates (the “how”). The truth is, meaningful change can’t be forced. It must be emerged. Here’s what needs to change in Change Management: * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀. * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻. * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Change Management needs an overhaul. It’s time to align it with the complexity we face in today’s world. If we’re serious about building organisations that deliver, grow, and adapt, we need to move beyond the old ways. It’s time to embrace a systemic lens and build Group Intelligence. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. Do you agree or disagree? 📘 Want to learn more? Discover the next horizon for Change Management in my book, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 (available on Amazon). #changemanagement

I’ve long been a huge fan of Ripple Effects Mapping. It’s one of the few approaches that genuinely shows how change unfolds across people, places and projects, capturing what happened, why it mattered, and what it led to in as close to real time as possible. This new guide from Create Gloucestershire is a brilliant introduction - practical, friendly and grounded. It covers: 1️⃣ Why use it The guide breaks the value of REM into simple, accessible benefits: 👉 Interactive & collaborative — encourages shared perspectives and includes everyone 👉 Visual — a clear way to map activity and capture data 👉 Flexible — works across settings, groups and project types 👉 Impact-focused — helps show achievements over time 👉 Practical — cost-effective and easy to run 👉 Future-focused — supports planning and ongoing learning One line in particular stands out: “Conversation creates new ripples.” A lovely reminder that the process of mapping can generate impact in its own right. 2️⃣ What you need to run a session The guide keeps it simple: 👉 A long roll of paper 👉 Masking tape 👉 Thick pens 👉 Different shapes/colours of post-its 👉 A long table 👉 Plus a facilitator who can set the tone so “everyone’s voices can be heard.” 3️⃣ How it works (step by step) It outlines a clear process for running REM with groups: 👉 Getting started — define the purpose, roll out the paper, sketch a timeline, explain post-it categories 👉 Building the map — add actions, beneficiaries, highlights; draw arrows to show connections; mark intended (i) and unintended (u) impacts 👉 Spot significant impacts — identify what mattered most 👉 Understand the whole picture — look for patterns, overlaps, gaps and pathways 👉 Feed back as a group — pull out stories and insights 👉 Plan future intentions — anticipate the next 3 months of ripples 👉 Return to your map — keep learning as the project evolves 4️⃣ Practical tips for facilitators Some of the most useful guidance sits here: “Ensure you have the right people in the room.” “Spend time at the beginning to set the right tone.” “Focus on what has changed, rather than how.” “Estimate dates and provide just enough detail to tell the story.”

One of the best ways to align teams, stakeholders, and strategy is to make the invisible visible. That’s why I’m such a fan of mapping techniques. They help you zoom out, focus in, and uncover the things that are often hiding in plain sight. Whether it’s unclear goals, conflicting priorities, or pain points users are quietly putting up with. Here are 7 mapping techniques I keep coming back to and how I use them in delivery: 🗺️ User Story Mapping Helps me turn flat backlogs into something visually dynamic, tangible, and user-focused. I use this to map out a user's journey step by step, then slice features based on what really matters to them. It’s a brilliant way to align teams around MVPs and delivery releases. 🗺️ Impact Mapping Just like Simon Sinek this one starts with why. It links business goals to user behaviors and potential features, helping teams focus on outcomes over outputs. I’ve used it to reframe entire product roadmaps around expected impact instead of a list of things to build. 🗺️ Wardley Mapping This is more strategic and it's great for mapping components of a system by how visible they are to users and how mature they are. It’s helped me spot where we should innovate, where we can standardise, and where buying makes more sense than building. 🗺️ Dysfunction Mapping I use this when things feel off, but the problem or solution isn’t immediately obvious. It’s a structured way to identify root causes of delivery friction whether it’s misaligned priorities, unclear ownership, or recurring blockers. Great for retros and recovery plans. 🗺️ Stakeholder Mapping Simple but powerful. I use this to understand who’s influencing the project, who needs to be kept in the loop, and who we might be unintentionally leaving out. It’s especially useful when stepping into a new team or navigating complex stakeholder landscapes. 🗺️ Experience Mapping This is about stepping into the user’s shoes and walking through their journey. Not just where the product touches them, but where the experience begins and ends. I’ve used this to uncover gaps, friction points, and opportunities we hadn’t considered. 🗺️ Empathy Mapping When we’re trying to build something truly user-centric, empathy mapping helps us understand what users think, feel, say, do, and hear. It goes deeper than roles or personas and helps teams emotionally hook in with the people we’re building for. If you’re in delivery, product, UX, or transformation work there’s probably a mapping method in here that can help you in your day to day role. Let me know if I've missed any effective mapping techniques and if a deep dive into any of these would be useful!