I’ve been reading a lot… always have. But, now my reading includes a wide range of blogs as well. One thread I’m reading is of interest – the desire of executives to “change their business culture to be more market-driven.”
Whenever I read this I start laughing. First, to change a business culture is – on its best day – only slightly easier than fighting windmills. Culture is. Culture will be there on every executive change, and will always prevail. From my perspective, looking in from the outside of that executive circle, culture will only change if the employees desire a change. An executive cannot change the culture.
But, the more prevailing reason why this executive goal makes me laugh is the wording of their desire. “I want to make our business market-driven.” It’s not about making a business market-driven. It’s about building a product that solves the market’s problems.
So, to executives looking to bring about change – listen to the culture, adapt it, mold it, and steer it in a new direction. If you try to change it, you will fail. And, if you are trying to become market-driven, shift your words to “let’s focus on solving the market problems.” And, this is where product management CAN and WILL make a difference.
Just an outside opinion.
When you are building products everyone will tell you find the market problem. Before you start to design, know what is the problem. Before you plan your marketing, understand the problem. Before you sell, have your sales people (including the sales engineer) be able to articulate the market’s problem.
In working with services, it starts at the problem as well. Nothing changes here. BUT, and this is a big but…there is not a button or gadget that will solve that problem you uncover. In services it is about the people. Not the people in the market, but the people who are your product – those who deliver the services. The product is as much about the knowledge possessed and carried in their heads as the delivery.
Starting a service-based framework model requires both an understanding of the market’s problems, as well as an understanding of the knowledge that can be provided. Either one separately is not useful but together they form the foundation of the framework.
