(2016-09-16) Cutler A Map From Goals Around Assumptions Through Tasks Towards Results

John Cutler: A Map from Goals, Around Assumptions, Through Tasks, Towards Results. One of the central roles of a product manager is to drive shared understanding. With shared understanding, a team is more effective, resilient, and creative. Alignment without shared understanding is temporary and short-lived.

most initiatives are a messy bundle of evolving and emerging assumptions, data points, opportunities, and constraints

The best teams find a way to unpack this complexity and speak the same shared language.

Below I describe a method for mind-mapping your product development goals, assumptions, and proposed solutions. (see also Opportunity Solution Tree)

The Lingo

To add structure, I use a handful of words to link the various ideas, assumptions, motivators, and data points

• Because we assume (or we know) ___________________
• By ___________________
• While and Without ________________

Brief Example

Let’s look at the these words and concepts in more depth.

dog purchase

By: Nesting Problems and Solutions

Every goal can be put into context between goals that are broader and less prescriptive and goals that are narrower and more prescriptive. Given this fluidity, teams frequently struggle with the problem–solution dichotomy. By making the relationships between problems and solutions more explicit we challenge ourselves to maintain a logical thread that extends from front-line work to a powerful, all-encompassing goal

We Know, We Assume: Making Our Assumptions Explicit

Because: Understanding the Why

This approach uses the word because instead of why so that the mind map reads more fluidly

While, Without: Making Constraints Explicit

Use without when you assume or know you don’t want to (or can’t) do something. Use while when you assume or know that you will do something alongside the solution.

Limit the time to 30 minutes or less.

Don’t start at a level too high up. You can boil almost any problem up to an existential question, but it is best to practice with more discrete questions.

Challenge “we know” whenever possible.