“Once a product manager, always a product manager.”
Maybe that’s the reason why I still approach most challenges with a PM mindset.
What are we trying to achieve? Which alternatives or workarounds exist? And what are the stakeholders’ beliefs we need to take into account?
Company culture is one of those challenges.
And as a CEO, or as part of the leadership team, company culture is your product.
That means:
Your employees are your users.
Your HR specialists are your product managers.
Your team leads are your culture engineering team.
They don’t “just know” how things are supposed to happen. They are guided by your example and by your vision.
Your company values are your product vision for your culture.
That means - great company culture doesn’t “just happen”. And in the rare circumstances where it feels like it did “simply work out”, you very likely have someone in the team doing the glue work.
Accidental company culture doesn’t scale though.
Just like your product didn’t scale by accident.
There certainly was an element of luck, and there was a lot of purpose.
You create a vision, create a prototype, test, iterate, measure, improve, get feedback, find the best talent to make it happen, pivot if ChatGPT threatens your business model, adapt, and grow - intentionally.
Imagine if you did the same with your people operations?
Company culture can feel intangible.
That doesn’t mean you can’t measure it.
You can define KPIs for your company culture, like you do for your business.
You can measure trends and impact, like you do for your product.
You can define goals, like you do for your growth expectations.
If your product didn't "just happen", use the same approach to build the company culture you want to see.
Your company culture is your product.
Build it well!
This week: Running Remote in Lisbon
This week I am on a roadtrip towards Lisbon to attend Running Remote, THE conference about all things remote. Might be a bit slower in responding, unless you are in Lisbon - then we can have a coffee :)
Coming up: Women in Product
May 9-10th, 2023. I’ll be (virtually) speaking at the yearly Women in Product Conference - about leading remote product teams, and my favourite plant. Come for the talk, stay for the community - it’s a breath of fresh air for anyone in Product.
Recommendation: Vivel in Cappadocia
My friend and colleague Mine is coorganizer of Vivel, an immersive event focussing on remote work, web3 - and music! If you are a remote worker or entrepreneur, and you can make your way to Turkey from May 24-27th - check it out (affiliate link)!
(I have worked with Mine and have been impressed every single time. The reason I am not going myself: I’ll be running the 2 Riviere ultra marathon in France and have yet to figure out how to clone myself.)
About the Empress of Remote
👑 I am Valentina Thörner, Product Leader and Remote Expert.
✨ Supporting companies to engage and retain their remote (and hybrid) workforce
✨ Now open for board positions at companies that share my values
*️⃣ Find out more on my website or connect on LinkedIn