What 2020 has taught us, tips to tackle 2021
By: Victoria De Santiago
Tags: Teamwork, Tips, Ideation, Creativity, Product Management

It’s hard to believe that 2020 is almost over.

Flashback to a year ago and we were reviewing plans for 2020,our activities and expectations for the year. In March this year, we were all sitting around in the office’s main meeting room, drinking mate and discussing the next steps to shape a very special project. 2 weeks later, and all I remember is this uncertain feeling of limbo. You know that moment when you wake up with bed hair, your senses and thoughts still scrambled; and you sit there, in your bed, for a second still gathering your thoughts? Well, something along those lines.

We were disoriented, trying to figure out how to juggle home office, family, kids with no school, anxious clients and a full time remote team. It was challenging at the beginning, I’m not gonna lie, but we were 100% in it for the ride. And it has been a rewarding journey, thanks to the amazing people we work with.

If teams have always been paramount to success, then this year they were even more so. Our team kept pushing to stay afloat each and every day in the wake of the COVID crisis. I am grateful for them, thriving through these challenging times and going the extra mile when necessary. I am grateful for our clients’ confidence and trust in walking this year together. And our families, above all, how to ever thank them enough for their support? I hope all your beloved ones are in good health to welcome this 2021.

This has been a year full of changes, challenges and beginnings for Arion. As product manager it has definitely been a fun ride, that has tested our teams’ adaptability and taught us a lot. Here are some of my main mantras and takeaways of the journey as PM:

May Ideas be with you!

Set the stage for Ideas.. and keep pushing!

Photo by James Pond

This is key to creating value, and I’ve shared more thoughts and tips about this in a previous article. Make sure to check it out here.

Magic golden eggs of success do not appear out of thin air or by some random act of magic. They bloom in properly cultivated environments, and can grow into fantastic enhancements, new features or even revenue streams if properly groomed and guarded.

Of course not all ideas can be executed, but it is fundamental to ensure that your team feels part of a safe environment where they can let their minds go wild and risk voicing their thoughts. Hear them out, polish them, combine ideas, play with the possibilities.

AND, always keep pushing for more. Provide inspiration and prompt discussions, framing the conversation through questions such as “How might we….”, “What if…”. Imagination is a muscle that many of us tend to exercise less and less as we enter adulthood. But all of us have it and it is just waiting for the right opportunity to hatch. Leverage diversity of professions, backgrounds, interests, hobbies, and personalities. Shuffle teams, get all departments together, give everyone a voice. The sum is always greater than the parts.

With great expectations comes a great responsibility

Motivation is key, but managing expectations is also essential.

Photo by Michael Dziedzic

This year has been hard on everyone. Keeping teams aligned and motivated is an everyday task in all scenarios, but effective communication during a crisis is just as essential as breathing. Knowing how each team member was coping with the situation, if they needed anything and how we might help seemed to be all we could do during the first few months. We are all humans, with families, and personal worries and fears which we can’t simply delete when we power up our computers.

We all want our teams to get excited over the news of a potential new project, get the thrill of the possibilities it opens. Nothing is better than a motivated team! We kept the teams hooked with the projects, but decided to be responsible and transparent regarding possibilities. We wanted our teams to be updated on possible future scenarios, but when there was yet uncertainty we would factor in that uncertainty, and explain the variables it depended on. Creating expectations is great, but creating false ideas or distorted images when everyday is filled with uncertainty is no good to anyone. Keep the teams motivated and on the loop, responsibly.

Build what builds you.

Build change resilience.

Photo by Andrik Langfield

This year has shoveled as many plans into oblivion, as the ones that it has forcefully modified. Things usually don’t go as planned, and this year certainly reminded everyone of that. Be it personal plans, company plans or product plans; everything had to be reassessed and re-planned for the new reality and new needs.

We can plan for change by building models and environments to be resilient to unexpected events. This volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (also referred to as VUCA) life stage will unfortunately continue in 2021. So it’s best to have systems, and mental models set up to tackle any challenge and opportunity that we may face.

Setting an environment and a proper space for everyone to voice their views, while fostering a growth mindset will also help build resilience. During challenging times being a thoughtful leader will make the difference. According to the 2019 Change Lab Workplace Survey, it’s the quality of leadership during times of change, rather than the amount of change, that drains or sustains teams. Building change resilience applies to your teams, and your products.

We don’t know what 2021 will bring us, but we can prepare ourselves, and equip our teams to be prepared to thrive.

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