The Creators: Issue eleven – Ben Maynard - consultant, coach, and mentor to senior product leaders
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Ben Maynard
Meet Ben Maynard—consultant, coach, and mentor to senior product leaders. Ben’s extensive background in banking (including senior roles at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank) and his expertise in product management and agile methodologies inform every aspect of his work. He is also the host of the popular podcast Product Agility, where he and his guests dissect the most pressing topics in product development today.
Ben’s superpower? Cutting through distractions. He helps product leaders focus on what truly matters, driving higher team engagement and greater customer satisfaction. From clarity in goal-setting to practical coaching strategies, Ben transforms how organisations approach product thinking—building teams, products, and cultures that thrive.
On Becoming a Coach and Mentor
How did you transition to coaching and mentoring senior product leaders?
I spent a long time in the banking world, starting as a temp at JP Morgan and eventually becoming a senior director at Deutsche Bank.
My focus back then was helping technology teams think more like product teams—shifting the mindset from simply fulfilling tech requests to truly understanding business needs.
After about 10 years, I felt it was time to move on and start my own consultancy. That decision allowed me to blend agile expertise, professional coaching, and product management principles to help other leaders chart their own paths to success.
Principles and Philosophies
“We should never assume we know what problem we’re trying to solve; instead, we need to spend time learning - especially from other people.”
Ben’s Approach:
I think that we always have to meet people where they are. We should always remain curious to understand what the current situation is for someone. We should never assume we know what problem we are trying to solve; instead, we need to spend time learning, particularly from other people.?
When faced with a specific product challenge, one of the greatest powers we have is our ability to have conversations. In both my coaching and my approach to product management, it’s really about finding ways to create as many different perspectives on a problem as possible and bringing them together in new and interesting ways to develop innovative solutions.?
Strategy for Changing Behaviours
“The most effective approach is to ask people - or find ways to understand - how urgently they want to solve that problem.”
How do you guide people to change their behaviours?
First, gauge whether they’re actually open to change. If they’re just not ready or don’t acknowledge a problem, it’s not the right time for coaching. But if they recognise a real pain point—like a specific product feature they’re not using or a process that’s failing—they’re more inclined to shift their behavior.
This is where the Transtheoretical Model comes in: it highlights pre-contemplation (they don’t see the problem) versus contemplation (they recognise there’s an issue). As a coach, I focus on those who are ready to move forward. If someone insists they can’t change, I see it as an opportunity to dig deeper and find the real barrier. If they won’t change, I know the process might require more patience and influence over time.
Coaching in Action
Could you share an example of something you've implemented to help somebody reach that stage of contemplation?
In working with senior leaders, I encourage them to narrow down their goals—ideally just one key objective. If they say, “We can’t do that; we’re used to ten goals,” that’s a cue for coaching. We explore why they believe they can’t.
Usually, it’s because they feel pressured by executives demanding deliverables by set deadlines. By shifting the narrative and focusing on deeper impact rather than a list of deadlines, we reframe the board discussions around real, measurable value.
In these situations it is rare to align everyone around just a singular goal as the organisational system has evolved to reward and balance multiple priorities.
Where we often end up is with a reduction in the number of goals that provides not an insurmountable level of change but enough of a shake up to enable many people to see the value that can be gained from overcoming the difficult challenge of strategic decision making.
Influential Figures
Biggest Lessons and Valuable Skills
“It isn’t what you do; it’s what people think you do.”
Is there one specific thing that comes to mind that you've learned to avoid doing?
Avoid rushing decisions.
Early in my career, I’d jump into opportunities without fully assessing them - leading to missed contracts and fragile client relationships.
Now, I carefully define roles, expectations, and goals before committing.
Daily Structure & Avoiding Distractions
“If 75% of my daily tasks aren’t contributing to our major goals, I need to rethink how I’m spending my time.”
Pen and Paper First: As someone with dyslexia, dyspraxia and and at times an allergic reaction to focussing on any one thing, I rely on a handwritten task list to stay focused. Granted, very few people other than myself can read what's on there! But it's as much about putting the thinking into writing the list as it is ticking things off or more frequently never looking at it again!
I always ensure that during my workday, when I make promises about deadlines or when I’ll deliver something, I write it down. I need to have that on my task list; otherwise, I risk getting distracted and forgetting. I keep all my notes organised and labeled so I can refer back to them easily.
On days when I have more headspace for strategic planning, I take a sheet of paper to write various lists - by client, for marketing, for the podcast, or whatever it might be. I use these as my North Star.?
We aim to limit our objectives to one per quarter, but given the diverse nature of the business, we often find that challenging. However, this focus helps us a lot. If 75% of my daily tasks aren’t contributing to our major goals, that’s something I need to reflect on over a cup of tea in the evening. I consider why other tasks are getting in the way and what I can do to eliminate distractions. If I'm not concentrating on making a significant impact, then I'm not doing the right thing.
Top Tips for Internal Buy-In and Communication
“Storytelling is incredibly powerful, and if you're going to tell a story, you need a strong character.”
Storytelling is incredibly powerful, and if you're going to tell a story, you need a strong character. You should focus on the real customer you're trying to help, and everyone else becomes a stepping stone towards delivering something that person, in culmination with all previous product work,? will find more useful than what the competition is offering. Crafting realistic narratives about the people you're trying to assist can make a massive difference.
For example, I worked with a client in the NHS whose board was historically concerned about what they were delivering and when. I prompted them to consider who they were actually trying to help and what story they could tell that would shift the board's focus from asking when a feature would be complete to asking when they would see the?impact.
By encouraging them to tell a story about how they would significantly impact the lives of a specific role in healthcare and backing it up with meaningful numbers - showing that their work could continue helping patients in small communities and at the same time keep the roofs over small business owners heads - this compelling narrative was key to evolving their relationship with their board members into something which better served the success of their business.
领英推荐
What Sets Successful Product Teams Apart Today
“Miro has done an incredible job integrating AI in a way that genuinely helps users.”
I think it would be obvious to say that a myopic customer focus is required, but I believe one area that is setting apart some of the product companies I'm seeing at the moment is their approach to AI. Embracing AI in a way that integrates it into the product, rather than treating it as a superficial add-on, is essential. Successful teams ensure that people are using AI meaningfully and are really getting value from it, rather than just using it because it's a novelty.
For example, Miro’s careful integration of AI serves as a benchmark; they enhance user workflows rather than distract from them. In contrast, companies like Google, with their integration of Gemini into the Google suite, have underwhelmed me. It doesn’t feel as integrated as it could be; it feels tacked on. Miro, however, has really taken the time to think about their users and figure out how to make AI conducive to helping them.
Advice for Senior Product Professionals
“Focusing on a single key customer—whose life you aim to improve—is crucial.”
My first piece of advice is to understand the nature of the problem. Many product leaders I’ve worked with have been overwhelmed by taking on too much and struggling to say no. This often stems from how their products are designed and how their teams are structured, making it hard to deliver effectively. Zero in on the one goal that matters most and why that customer would choose what you are offering over the competition.
To start addressing their challenges, professionals should assess their distractions and determine the one most important goal. Focusing on a single key customer whose life they aim to improve is crucial. By telling a compelling story about the positive impact their product can have on that customer, they can shift the narrative from simply meeting deadlines to demonstrating meaningful outcomes, ultimately aligning efforts with desired results, like revenue growth.?
So, the first place to start is to focus: concentrate on fewer priorities and ensure you have the right customer in mind whose life you're going to positively impact.
Advice for Founders Hiring a CPO
“I would always look for somebody who truly cares about the impact you're trying to make for your customers.”
When they're hiring a product leader, do the applicants really care about your customer? Can they see themselves in the customer? Because I think if they can't, they're going to outsource that to people that work for them, and all you're going to have is someone who is just playing the numbers rather than trying to make a successful product. I would always look for somebody who truly cares about the impact you're trying to make for your customers and can tell a compelling story about your products future, not just for that customer but also how it can thrive given your current and future (predicted) market context.
For me, one of the most powerful things we can do is tell a story that has a real impact relatable to someone while drawing a clear line back to how it will affect the bottom line. How will it make, save, or protect the organisation’s money??
This is a powerful technique that's often under utilised because, as senior people in organisations, we can be fearful of changing the narrative.
Key Takeaways
Connect with Ben
Ready to elevate your product strategy, energise your team, and engage customers like never before?
Reach out to Ben for tailored coaching and consultancy that puts human-centered solutions and business results at the heart of everything you do.
Senior product moves and promotions in the last month
Keep up to date on the key talent driving product innovation and strategy within leading companies.
?? - Tony Grout joins M-Files , a platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate knowledge work, including document management, workflows, and client collaboration, as CPO
?? - Alasdair Firth moves to Emaldo Power Power - specialists in solar home power systems, as CPO
?? - Jorge Santos joins LightBox - a commercial real estate information and technology platform, as CPO
?? - Shiri Mosenzon Erez Erez joins commercetools , a global commerce company and the market leader in composable commerce as CPO
?? - Fay Cooper joins Scrumconnect Consulting a specialist software development consultancy for public sector transformation as CPO
?? - Chris Thoume joins Gravity Group , a? tech-enabled fund administrator dedicated to revolutionising the way fund managers and investors experience financial operations as CPO
?? - Simon Curd joins PeopleForce , an all-in-one HR platform that seamlessly manages your entire employee experience and streamlines HR processes, as CPO
?? - Ian Brocklehurst joins CDP , a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system, as CPO
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Thanks for the mention Ben Maynard. Hope you're doing well!
Chief Product Officer
1 个月Thanks for the mention, humbled to be included. But the biggest move for me recently is Hilary Aylesworth to CoachHub - The digital coaching platform
Be sure to tune into Ben's Product Agility Podcast on Spotify ?? https://open.spotify.com/show/0lkwAYJzVSuk5zfJ1vIDZq?si=15eb144c807547a6
Successful Outcomes By Connecting Purpose to Your Products & People
1 个月It was a lot of fun to be interviewed for this! Thanks so much for having me.