The two mindsets of product development
This article responds to a challenge posed by Bj?rn Broum regarding the necessity of incorporating both long-term strategic planning and agile responsiveness into data governance practices. His inquiry, outlined in his publication "Just in Time, Just Enough," prompts reflection on how experience and learning can be integrated across both sustained efforts and rapidly adaptive phases within a functioning framework.
The concept of duality or bimodality highlighted by Bj?rn is fundamental in the realm of product development companies like Telenor, Apple, Google, or Amazon. Understanding and navigating this duality is crucial for career success within such enterprises.?
Drawing from research on creativity, I propose labeling the two modes as divergent and convergent thinking. At Telenor, we referred to the divergent mode as "product development" and the convergent mode as "productification." In the product development phase, creativity and experimentation flourished as we explored customer perspectives and innovated with available technology. However, upon identifying successful strategies, we transitioned into the more structured convergent mode, focusing on quality, reliability, automation, and efficiency. Challenges arising during product rollout often necessitated a return to the divergent mode for creative problem-solving.
This oscillation between divergent and convergent modes is akin to operational teams shifting gears when encountering faults. While a team primarily operating in the convergent mode may struggle to meet business expectations, one entrenched in divergent thinking may excel creatively but falter in operational reliability. The key lies in embracing both modes, with convergent thinking providing a foundation of reliability and divergent thinking fostering adaptability and learning.
For seasoned product development professionals like Bj?rn, transitioning between modes becomes second nature, akin to adjusting activities and attire based on weather conditions. Recognizing when to employ each mode is crucial, ensuring that solutions align with responsibilities and objectives. The advantage of a framework of guidelines and procedures is that they are working for the organization no matter what the team is doing. The creative and divergent work will become even more powerful when combined with a framework.
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The pivotal question to guide mode selection is: "Are we effectively addressing the problems within our responsibility?" For a data governance team, this translates to ensuring corporate data usability, accessibility, and security. Identifying areas of poor data quality prompts a shift to divergent thinking, acknowledging the need for agile adjustments in frameworks and procedures.
In dynamic environments like Statens Vegvesen, where data landscapes are ever-evolving, a strategic approach is to initiate improvements within smaller business segments grappling with data quality issues. By equipping leaders in these areas with robust guidelines and procedures, we address their challenges and establish a precedent for broader organizational enhancement. This initial framework catalyzes innovation, progressively extending its benefits across various business domains. As the Data Governance team engages with more systems, end-users, and leaders, these guidelines become the organizational pulse, alerting us to any anomalies or inefficiencies. Should issues arise, our product development teams employ divergent thinking to pinpoint underlying issues and implement sustainable solutions by refining the guidelines and procedures. This symbiotic relationship between creativity and frameworks underscores the importance of integrating both divergent and convergent work modes thought processes.
One effective approach to cultivating this duality is the "Tight Loose Tight" framework, wherein teams regularly cycle through structured reminders of organizational purpose, creative problem-solving, and critical self-assessment. By integrating Tight Loose Tight practices, teams learn to leverage both modes of thinking to their advantage.