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2d ago
Framing is Everything
Recently I wrote about the most important skill for Product Managers.
Regardless of whether you are a Product Manager or not, the communication will help you with all aspects of your career. If you want to manage or be a leader, you have to be a good communicator. Specifically, you need to get better at framing.
What’s your goal? Are you looking for feedback, sharing information, wanting to influence, asking for approval or something else entirely?
What are you sharing? Is it a problem? Maybe a solution? A vision? Or a mix?
How much detail are you planning to share? Is this a helicopter or detailed view? Or perhapse, both?
Who’s your audience? Your team, the entire organisation or the executive group?
Your communication needs to be adjusted depending on the answers.
Early in your career, you use the same message no matter the context.
To grow, you need to get better at tailoring your message - what you say, how you say it and when to say it. -
Dec 30, 2024
Blank meeting invites waste time
Don’t leave your meeting description blank - it’s a pain for everyone! Respect your team’s time.
1. Start with the purpose - explain why the meeting exists and what the team needs to do.
2. If you’re using FigJam, Zoom or anything else include it upfront so no one’s scrambling.
3. Share pre-reading and start your meeting with 5–10 minutes of reading time.
4. Is this for brainstorming, updates or decision-making? Let everyone know what to expect.
5. If someone can’t attend, let them know they can share their feedback later. -
Dec 21, 2024
Care is in the Challenge
Trust grows when care takes the form of action.
Teams don’t excel in comfort; they grow through accountability. A challenge, a nudge or a push is a signal of shared commitment. Speaking up shows someone values the team enough to stay invested and engaged.
Without trust, feedback sounds like conflict. With trust, it becomes progress. -
Dec 20, 2024
The Feedback Fix
Our behaviours shape how others perceive us.
Some things we do, we want that to be part of who we are.
Some other actions remain hidden to us until someone tells us about them.
If you notice something inappropriate, a direct and genuine conversation is the best approach.
Try the Situation-Behaviour-Impact framework. It makes these conversations easier and less awkward. -
Dec 18, 2024
Safe to Ask
Asking for help drives progress.
The strongest teams thrive on trust, communication and self-awareness. Silence in struggle delays outcomes and keeps answers out of reach.
Great leaders create environments where asking for help feels safe. Confident individuals know when to lead, when to listen and when to ask. -
Dec 15, 2024
Alignment Starts with You
Clarity is a PM’s superpower. Early in a career, speed feels like the ultimate skill. Later, strategy seems like the key. Over time, it becomes clear - strong communication makes the difference.
Brilliant strategies crumble without understanding. Clear communication creates alignment. Alignment builds trust. A team that trusts your judgement will follow your lead, and leadership confident in your clarity will give you room to excel.
Great PMs don’t just build products. They build trust by making the complex simple and the ambiguous clear. -
Dec 13, 2024
Feedback That Builds
Feedback often triggers defensiveness. Misunderstood intent feels like an attack.
Clarity is your shield. When offering feedback, state your purpose plainly. Highlight the goal - helping, not harming.
Good feedback strengthens, never wounds. Make your intent impossible to misread.
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Jun 10, 2024
Broken Isn’t Always Yours
Not everything broken is yours to fix. But recognising and communicating the problem? That’s on you.
Taking responsibility doesn't mean solving every issue yourself. It means speaking up, sharing the truth and ensuring others are aware. Ignoring the cracks won't make them disappear.
You can't fix what you refuse to see—or refuse to say.
