It’s easy to get caught thinking you need one type of team when it’s another you truly need. You might think you fully understand the customer problem, know precisely what to build, and feel pressured to get it done quickly.
➡ But before you rush, ask yourself these crucial questions:
- Do we fully understand the customer problem we are solving?
- How do we know this is what to build?
- Are there any unknowns?
- Are we sure this is the best solution?
- What data and evidence do we have?
- Are there any assumptions we are making?
- Are there risks we are not seeing with desirability (customers want this), usability (customers can use this), viability (it will drive impact for the business), or feasibility (we can build it)?
- How do we know the proposed solution/feature will deliver the desired customer and business outcomes?
After answering these questions, you remain 100% confident with the direction, then move ahead with a team that can execute.
➡ However, if there is any doubt, consider building a cross-functional team to discover and deliver customer and business value.
Why a Cross-Functional Team?
A cross-functional team brings diverse perspectives, skillsets, and expertise to the table that covers the problem from all angles. It means including product managers, engineers, tech leads, designers, and more.
Varied perspectives equip the team to address complex issues. Each role on the team contributes to different aspects of the product development process.
➡ What to Look for in Team Members
Focus on individuals who:
- Historically deliver results.
- Leverage current customer data.
- Conduct thorough discovery work to understand customer problems deeply.
- Adept at navigating uncertainty.
- Prioritize effectively.
- Reduce risk by running experiments to test critical assumptions to find the fastest path to customer and business value.
- Make evidence-based decisions.
- Track progress and drive towards desired outcomes.
➡ Setting Your Team Up for Success
Invest time upfront to set clear goals and outcomes. Align around measures that define success. Define roles and address potential gaps in skills or resources. A solid foundation will help your team hit the ground running and stay on track toward achieving its objectives.
By thinking critically about the team you need, you will be better equipped to solve crucial customer problems and drive transformative results for your organization.
Written By: Pam Krengel