(2022-12-15) cutler Tbm5452that Framework Is Just Common Sense

John Cutler: TBM 54/52: "That Framework Is Just Common Sense!" I recently chatted with an experienced product manager friend, and he asked me about a popular framework. "I can't believe it's an actual thing," he mentioned. "The concept is so core to good product management that I don't understand why people need a specific framework to describe that one concept."

The danger comes when companies lose sight of the fact that many frameworks are teaching frameworks

Companies pay millions of dollars to "implement" frameworks that were never meant to be implemented—the framework was meant as a starting point.

The next issue is that teams tend to gloss over underlying skills when they see the framework as the end goal.

It's tempting to think: "If I could make a simple framework, then people would be able to do what I do."

It is much harder to figure out all the critical areas of knowledge and skill and create conditions where people can practice

With the right teacher (and opportunities to practice), frameworks can accelerate performance. Stand-alone, they don't work as well; at best, they serve as a "job aid"—helping reduce cognitive load while reducing errors. But they don't teach.

In my experience, the most successful teams mix and match many frameworks and models. (Gardening Your Product Process)