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SPECIALISING WILL GO A LONG WAY IN SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS AND GUIDING YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE . businesses – they ’ re thinking about traditional linear broadcasting operations , as well as juggling the needs of an over the top on-demand world .
The utilities sector shares a lot of similarities here , in that the balance of efficiency and getting the maximum value is front of mind for customers . Connectivity lies at the heart of both of these areas , with customers no longer looking for a one-dimensional payoff and allowing them to create savings and be more creative .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
Less regret , more hindsight – I had an opportunity to work in the States back in 2014 . Looking back , it could have given me more insight into the intricacies of product management in a different environment . On the flip side , turning it down meant that I started my product career in earnest , and I ’ ve had a long and textured path that ’ s led me to present day .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Specialising will go a long way in sharpening your skills and guiding your leadership style . That being said , it ’ s also important to gain a breadth of experience across different roles and industries . Equally , building and nurturing a strong network is important – surrounding yourself with a space where you can freely bounce ideas off others is invaluable . I ’ m currently part of a collective of senior product leaders called CPO Track in the UK , full of CPOs and product leaders and it ’ s a great resource for collaboration and sounding out ideas . You can describe something at a macro level and chances are , somebody else has had a similar experience . Lastly , don ’ t forget your cheerleaders !
What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to and why ?
Curiosity – whether that ’ s understanding what makes someone tick or digging a little more into a customer problem , it deepens your relationships and , in my experience , gets the most out of people too .
I ’ ve always found that asking questions is much better than asking , “ What ’ s the answer ?” The minute you ask that question , a partnership is struck , and it then becomes a shared journey . This really shows customers that you truly understand them .
What ’ s your go-to productivity trick ?
It ’ s somewhat underrated but a list ! Typically consisting of the top three things I want to achieve on any given day . It ’ s manageable and by the end of the day , it helps you feel like you ’ ve achieved something .
Another top tip is getting your story down before kicking off a PowerPoint presentation , whether that ’ s on paper , or in Word . That way , you cut out the potential hours spent deliberating on the content itself . Once your content is done , the rest falls into place .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
Over the past two years I ’ ve moved from B2C , D2C through to B2B – in some ways completing the circle of my career . This breadth of experience has really helped my 360 thinking . Throughout this time , I ’ ve noticed that the expectations of what product managers and cross-functional teams can do has evolved and the value of this role has changed – for instance how they can better solve customer problems when they take on a customer mission and really get their outcomes . I ’ m excited to see how this develops further ! x
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