Clarion Coughlan, Jayne Paterson O’Connell, Justin Blass & Kelsey White
Kelsey has had a busy two weeks with a trip to her company headquarters where a focus was purely to meet folks in her group that she hasn't personally met before. That focus was largely inspired by an interview with Cynt Marshall. Further, Kelsey has been progressing the long-term vision in her group by publishing a Strategy-on-a-Page for her team and leadership to review. She's feeling excited about an inspiring and clear vision to drive motivation and impact within her group.
Justin has continued work on defining the standards they are aiming for when they release, and he's thankful for all the intelligent people around him to do this. They’ve been working on adding principles to their standards to help teams navigate the grey areas. Otherwise, he constantly chews on what shapes the frames of their product teams and found this article, “Roadmaps and Twyman’s Law”, thought-provoking.
In her role as the first Product Operations specialist at a startup, Clarion continues to navigate her path. Initially focusing on ideas management, she's developed a streamlined process over nine months that is now widely utilised across the company, leveraging Jira Product Discovery as a vital resource and a singular prioritisation framework. Recently, she transitioned to supporting the Head of UX with customer research, not only conducting the research but also identifying opportunities to establish a consistent process. Presently, her focus has shifted towards Release Planning, aiming to enhance Product Operations’ contribution during this phase. On a personal front, she caught up with former bosses – influential figures who have had a significant impact on both her professional and personal life – emphasising the importance of mentors and sponsors in any career journey. Their discussions encompass not just work-related matters but also offer invaluable life advice, such as the insights shared in the article "17 Life-Learnings from 17 Years of The Marginalian".
Jayne is now two months into her new role. She's exploring how her skills from previous positions can be applied in this new environment. This fortnight, Jayne is putting her ideas to the test during big room planning events and product inceptions and team kick-offs. It's a bit of a balancing act, though, as she navigates the line between her past experiences and the new opportunities within her role. Jayne is also reflecting on her desire to lead, despite the fact that it's not officially part of her new role. She recognises the potential for leadership within the team and is eager to explore those avenues.