I have fallen in love again

For years, I have been infatuated with Learning & Performance. I could speak passionately about its marvelous mysteries, and would take pleasure in relishing a well-crafted learning and performance solution. I was in love with it intellectually, emotionally, professionally.

But lately, I've had doubts about our long-standing relationship. I was starting to feel that it was less about mysteries and more about the same old less-than-glamourous formulae. Maybe it was the fact that I could not see learning changing in organizations, or in the education field for that matter, as I expected it to do. Or maybe it was me. Maybe I was the one who stopped looking for the beauty and innovation in learning.

Anyway, it did not feel good. Was it time for me to seek a new passion?

New found love?

As it happened – that's exactly what I started to do. My new found love was Products and Product Management. About 2 years ago, I changed my role and focus from Director of Learning Solutions to Director of Products. It was not just about the title. It was a whole new way of thinking for me. Although I've lead many technology projects and solutions in the past, it would always start from the operational or learning challenge. I was not thinking like a visionary Product Manager. I was constantly aiming for custom development and custom solutions – "just right" for what the client thought they needed or what I thought the challenge to be.

In order to be worthy of my new love, I had to learn new skills and acquire new knowledge. This pumped new blood into my mind and heart and drove me to take some great new courses on Agile Product Management, on Technology, on Product Marketing and more. I did so on Coursera, on Udemy and on Lynda and elsewhere. I joined new professional groups on LinkedIn, added new categories and searches to my Feedly feeds and attended Product conferences and meetups.

Wow – this new love offered so much! I could travel the wonders of new technologies and landscapes. Fantasies of Bots, Big Data, IoT and endless new ideas gave me new excitement and a rush of discovery. I started to see "Products" everywhere I looked. I was checking out features and product approaches in every app, website or interface. I had so many new ideas for products myself.

It seemed like I had so much to catch up in order to be able to run along with it. Was I strong enough for the challenge? I was thinking what past experience and skillsets I could bring into this relationship that would give me an advantage. This was a good opportunity to harness my innovation and creativity toolset for the job. Others told me that my broad know-how in strategy, marketing, management and working with people can be key advantages for me in this new world.

On a daily basis – I was learning by doing – and loving it. There was the new me – researching the competition, looking at product data, building product roadmaps, creating user stories, sketching wireframes and contemplating designs. It felt good to be driven and passionate again.

I was now looking at the things I was doing from the point of view of products. My own new Udemy course on Creativity for Kids was much different than my first one on Innovation Mastery. I now see course creation more of an agile process of experimentation and change. It's a challenging experience that has shaken me quite a bit and has made me insecure again – but at the same time it has brought the enjoyment and mystery back in.

One thing I did discover, and have repeatedly voiced it to team members, to clients, to other product managers I've met and to myself. Product Management is so critically about COMMUNICATION. Constant, honest, open, evolving and brave communication. Thankfully – I believe I have a good starting point on that – with my past work in learning, innovation and consulting being a lot about listening, about interactions, and about delivering messages and changing mindsets.

Best thing is – all this new love of products seemed to rekindle my love for learning. I see it in so many new lights now. I have ideas for new learning and education related products. I see learning as a much larger scope and on a much larger scale when combined with the power of product mindset and approach.

Maybe I can find a way to love them both – Learning and Products!

What do you think of my new love? Please let me know in the comments below.