3/15/2020 Interviews - Evernote

Becoming the Greatest Product Manager - Lewis Lin

ESTEEM Method (6 Skills)
(Execution, Communication, Tactics, Team Building, Mental Toughness, Vision)
Execution
In first 90 days, observe, not judge. Fit in, don't stick out.
Ask your boss what you need to work on.
What does he care about most?
Who needs my help, and how I can help to get things done.
What unique strengths I can share
Be thoughtful, not reactive
Creative thinking (innovate)
Analytical thinking (analyze data)
Logical thinking (to influence and persuade)
Empathetic thinking (with stakeholders and partners)
Writing helps crystalize thinking
Take initiative, take action, always update boss
Boss wants visibility - update him on what you are working on and what results you have achieved
Don't go above and around your boss
Superior Communication Skills
Situation, Complication, Resolution (SCR)
Use Zippy Words - eye-catching, memorable
To get buy-in, you need to:
Catch attention
Be credible
Remain memorable 
Easy to share (virality)
David Ogilvy - "When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents of your dollar" - people absolutely care
how you package your idea.
Use cliffhanger phrases to create suspense and drama, keep the audience on the edge of their seats
The Rule of Three - always communicate things in threes - pleasing to the ear and easy to remember
Repeat your message again and again and again (to influence)
Be authoritative like a professor
Use whiteboard to communicate ideas
doubling communication bandwidth - audibly and visually
slow-down your thinking (system 2), gains extra cognitive cycles
more authoritative
Write post-meeting notes
get everyone on the same page
make those who won't there feel included
show leadership (visibility and value)
include Date, Attendees, Key Takeaways, Action Items
Use Action Titles in Powerpoint Slides
One sentence summary that clarifies the slides's main takeaway 
Good books "Say It With Charts" by Gene Zelazny, and "Resonate" by Nancy Duarte
Use analogies well to make it more understandable and memorable
5-Ws and 1-H for product
What is it?
Who is it for?
Why should I get it?
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Why should I get it? Interviews - Evernote

When is it available?
Where can I get it?
How does it work?
Elements for good story-telling
Hero and villain
Characters' actions, reactions, emotions
Dilemma, conflict, tension
Plot - beginning, middle, end
Context - place, time, people, company
Be responsive
Email/message response time is the single best predictor of whether one has a strong relationship with another -
Duncan Watts 
Tactical Awareness
Establish your value
Develop expertise
Confer status via promotion and awards
Granting resources (budget, headcount)
Permitting access to key stakeholders and information
Get others to do what you want
Frame the proposal or argument in the listener's personal interest
Dave McClelland's Need Theory - most people need:
Achievement
Affiliation
Power
Validate people - Everyone wants validation. See them, hear them, make them feel what they say matters to you.
Ask mentors to share stories, not what to do. You should be inspired by the stories and arrive at your own decision on what
to do.
People owe you a favor when they wronged you unless they are not aware
Go check it out yourself instead of relying on indirect information
Ask 5-Whys to identify the root cause of an issue
Turn Toward not Turn Away, "Yes and" not "Yes but"
Interpersonal dynamics is key to winning allies, influencing others, and getting things done.
Ask How questions (e.g. how would you approach this, how do you..., how are you feeling) - strengthen relationships, and
enrich yourself
Give Options - people want to feel they are in control. If you want people to act, give them options. Frame the options to
nudge them to take the action you desire. If you don't give options, people might take no action at all.
Be a Thought Leader
Use the Wisdom of the Crowd - poll 3-4 people
Focus on observing and identifying problems, less on solving problems
Sponsor and protege are mutually beneficial
Sponsor likely in your chain of command, but might not be your manager
Data driven decision making and intuitive decision making are both important
Show and Tell your work
Not just focus, Obsess. Obsession leads to great results
Understand one's own weakness. What triggers emotional reaction, such as nervousness, worry, regret, depressed... 
The less weakness you have, the more you can do.
Ease your mind from anxiety through meditation
Make meaning of the past instead of ruminating about the past
See a therapist
Journaling
Learn to forgive
Avoid rivalries Be gracious
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Always check the other's emotional temperature

Discern their feelings
Confirm with them my perception
Share my story, seek understanding
Figure out way forward - apology, compromise, or plan to avoid future occurrence
Be clear, assertive and direct, not passive-aggressive
Have lunch with everyone
Extraordinary Mental Toughness
Persevere over trying moments
Being the last one to quit
Disagree and commit
Leaders build consensus by seeking diverse and dissenting opinions
Once decision is made, whole group need to commit to goal and action
Manage stress on a big presentation
Prep and practice
Anticipate all questions
Spot Omissions
People voluntarily or involuntarily omit things
Leaders should hone skill to spot omissions, through domain knowledge, intuition and thoughtfulness
Apologize sincerely and offer to make it right
Play Politics
Destablize the status quo
Disparage others, and build an unassailable reputation in advance
Undermine existing power base
Incite disorder
Establish the new regime
Control resources (budget, headcount, information, key influencers)
Build a small ruling coalition, borrow other people's influence via alliance. Small coalition minimizes the number
of people the leader needs to stay in power.
Manage your selectorate, remove those who are not royal 
Maintain the new regime
Give favors to keep members of your coalition. Counter - appeal to rules, fairness and due process
Take credit for another's work. Counter - proactively publicize your work
Blackmail - gain benefit in exchange for not revealing damaging info
Intimidation and other psychological manipulation
Self Affirmation to protect your psyche
Exceptional Team Builder
Hire People with Growth MindSet
Open to criticism
Tell me about a time you handled criticism.
Look for growth mindset
Acknowledge, reflect, take actions, result, lesson learned
Resilience against adversity
Adapts quickly
Learning and mastering new skills
Work Simulations 
Check References 
Ask the following questions
What was your working relationship with X
Tell me about X's strengths
T ll b X' k
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Tell me about X's weaknesses
Anything else you would like to add
Onboarding New Employees
They go through four phases
Orientation (learning culture, value, process, goals)
Dissatisfaction (needs coaching)
Resolution (establishes individual accountability, manager provides trust, support)
Production (manager steps aside)
Set High Expectations for Your Team
"People grow according to the demands placed on them"
Praise Groups in Public, Praise Individuals in Private
Strive for Clear, Accurate, Actionable Feedback
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Delegate the Right Tasks
You can delegate tasks, but you can't delegate accountability

            
See One, Do One, Teach One (apprenticeship model)
Promote well-liked internal candidates that's 60% ready
Better than external candidate who is 100% ready
As long as the internal candidate can acquire the skills
Firing - Don't Give Up Too Easily, and Don't Wait Too Long
Moonshot Vision
Delight customers
Figure out what customers want before they do (through empathizing)
Inspiration sparks vision (be curious to many things)
Borrow other people's ideas
Pursue lots of potential ideas
Brainstorm (defer judgement)
Consumer trends and technology shifts
Provide sufficient resources
Moonshot should integrate with core business
Best visionaries get into technical details
Embrace cannibalizing current products

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