How do you manage conflicting interests in product engineering?

Functional departments operate with often competing functions and directives; trying to optimize them can lead to conflicting objectives 孫子曰：是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也；不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也。 Sun Tzu said: To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. The art of management can be facilitated by identifying complementary compromises and the sustainable development of working relationships Respect is essential to mutual success; one need not love the rattlesnake or speeding automobile, but will do well to respect it Like driving in New York City, progress can depend on letting fellow operators know that collision is an option. Bad form to actually hit

Navigating Conflicts in Product Engineering: A Dance of Balance. Every product tells a story of reconciled conflicts. Think iPhone: marrying aesthetics with function. Drawing from CAD tools like SolidWorks, visualizing conflicting designs can be a game-changer. Visualization aids in consensus building. In CNC operations, sometimes efficiency battles precision. It's akin to Google Ads, where click-through rates may oppose conversion metrics. Effective communication is the anchor. It bridges gaps, just as cutting-edge inductor designs bridge between theory and application. In essence, managing conflicts is about blending diverse visions into one cohesive masterpiece. #EngineeringHarmony2023.

In my experience before going into defining the problem and criteria, the business would also look into if such concepts are aligned with the portfolios and roadmap.

Conflicting interests are usually heightened when there is a "throw over the fence" solution from one area to another (i.e. new product development to manufacturing). One way of minimizing these conflicts is by promoting early involvement of stakeholders in the development process.

In my experience working in a highly regulated industry, it crucial to identify product requirements based on customer standards, technical feasibility, schedule constraints, and available resources. This can help mitigate conflicts by focusing efforts on the most critical elements of the product.

When comparing alternatives, I always go back to Spock. "If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Same is true for Product Engineering. You may not like the answer. Sometimes, it's the best "bad" choice. But, it's the best choice, still the same, at that time.

In my experience, generating and comparing alternatives is a crucial step in product engineering and innovation. It helps to explore different possibilities, test assumptions, and evaluate trade-offs. I usually use tools such as brainstorming, prototyping, and simulation to generate multiple solutions for the problem. Then I compare them using a decision matrix, where I score each alternative based on the criteria I defined earlier. I also involve stakeholders and customers in this process, to get their feedback and input.

The development stage, and trial runs are iterative processes, during which is fundamental to gather knowledge from past experiences, but also be open to new ideas and try new things, and new approaches. And often be open minded to change direction, adjusting to the lessons learned.

Agreed ?? Effective communication and a collaborative approach are often key to finding solutions that satisfy multiple customer, stakeholders and other parties involved in product engineering…

I find that if there is someone with conflicting interests on a project, the first thing to do is take a step back and look at it from their perspective. Chances are they are from a different team (mechanical vs electrical vs software or maybe they are users). There is always a reason someone will be hard to win over. Once you understand that, it will help you realize it is not personal but they are looking out for some other reason. Now you can look at the conflicting issue in their perspective. This will allow to come up with answers to questions they may have and address their concerns before they get them. Being up front with this helps you be prepared and sometimes makes you realize things that may missed before talking with them.

Remember people that the end goal is the same for everyone. When they will understand that, then they will be more open to comunicate, share opinions in a constructive manner end reach and agreement

Communication and collaboration must extend all the way from the executive team, to the management of the product, to the program manager, to the lead engineer, to the engineering team. Too often Product Development focuses on the engineering team without collaborating with the executive / product management resources. These executive and marketing resources should provide critical feedback when the engineering team cannot easily achieve the product requirements and goals. That executive and marketing team, that sits above the program manager, must respond to dynamic changes in Product Development and "move the target" if the market changes during product development.

One thing I’ve found helpful in product engineering and innovation is to communicate and collaborate effectively with others. This includes my team members, cross-functional partners, senior management, and external parties. I use various methods to communicate and collaborate, such as meetings, presentations, reports, emails, and online platforms. I also make sure to use clear and concise language, tailor my message to the audience, and listen actively to their opinions and suggestions. I believe that communication and collaboration are essential for building trust, resolving conflicts, and achieving synergy.

Anyone can "fail fast" during Product Development but not everyone can "learn fast". Success depends not on failing, but on being open minded and prepared to change your assumptions as the Product is developed. Those that learn fast, drive towards solutions because they deeply consider why they failed and why they succeeded. Innovation requires this open-minded approach to enable iteration to converge. Take a lesson from the math of optimization. Iterate/evaluate only as quickly as you can converge. With too big a step, your aim is off and you wander randomly. Too small a step and it takes too long. Use your intelligence and open mindedness to adaptive adjust your iterative steps to converge.

I personally find 'Evaluate and reiterate' to play very important role in deciding the effectiveness of the Alternate chosen in conflicting Ideas. The performance in unidentified use-case during development can be identified in this stage that enables effective redesign.

The most of the time, the easiest path isn't the right one. What we should always do is use technical knowledge to make the most accurate decision. Furthermore, it's crucial that we always be transparent with our customers to maintain the bond of trust consistently.

Ethical integrity mandates that our products are culturally responsive and unbiased. Managing conflicting interests begins with embracing the diversity of the global populace in design. We must transcend the one-size-fits-all approach, adopting an inclusive methodology attuned to the rich tapestry of human diversity. Engaging with a broad user spectrum and soliciting feedback is crucial. Rigorous testing across varied groups can mitigate biases. Embedding cultural sensitivity into our innovations’ blueprint harmonizes technical excellence with social inclusivity. This balance is pivotal in navigating conflicting interests in product engineering, ensuring our pursuit of innovation and market success doesn't eclipse our ethical obligations.

This is very well stated. Experience will help you look at thing unbiased through other perspectives. But on the other hand, it also teaches you that some things you compromise, but experience will also teach you what things to stand your ground on. The best mentor you can find is someone that knows exactly this. It is a fine line because it can come off as being difficult. But sometimes there are situations that it must be done and you have to have the courage to do it. It may end up that the project doesn't listen and that is fine. Down the road your team will encounter issues and realize that you were right and they will recognize it.

Continuous learning grows the capability of the team to handle adversity. However, the only way learning occurs is through retaining employees, documenting / communicating your efforts of analyses and results, acquiring new talent with diverse experience, and investing in improving your internal talent by exposing them to input outside their organization. The theme here is that information needs to be stored and reviewed to become corporate knowledge. Rapid turnover in employees destroys that knowledge based that you were unable to capture with documentation. Having an external view of knowledge by getting trained outside your organization builds diverse skills that intrinsically avoids myopic not-invented-here natural behaviors.

Earlier in my career, I used to think that product engineering and innovation was a linear and predictable process, where I could follow a set of steps and achieve the desired outcome. But I realized that I could learn a lot more from the challenges, failures, and uncertainties that I faced along the way. I started to reflect on my actions and decisions and analyze their outcomes and impacts. I also sought feedback from others and learned from their experiences and insights. I also kept myself updated on the latest trends and technologies in my field and looked for opportunities to improve my skills and knowledge.

Transparent Communication - Foster an environment where all stakeholders can openly discuss their interests and concerns. This transparency helps in understanding the root of conflicts and finding a common ground. Prioritisation Framework - Develop a clear framework for prioritising different interests. This could involve assessing each interest based on factors like impact on product quality, cost, and time to market, ensuring decisions are balanced and objective. Compromise and Innovation - Encourage a culture of compromise and creative problem-solving. Sometimes, conflicting interests can lead to innovative solutions that satisfy multiple parties, turning challenges into opportunities for improvement.

Product engineering and innovation is a dynamic and exciting field, where you can create value for customers and society, and also grow personally and professionally. However, it also comes with some challenges and risks, such as ethical dilemmas, legal issues, and environmental impacts. Therefore, it is important to consider these aspects when developing and launching a new product and ensure that it is not only profitable but also responsible and sustainable.

Having a single point person to manage conflicting attributes in product development has been very effective in my experience and in my role as a team leader, responsible for cross attribute performance. Many conflicts can be resolved when conflicting groups work together iterating/optimizing and communicating to get the right balance.