Scaling Data-Driven Product Management
E-commerce technology and data leaders, intensely focused on maturing their strategic objectives and key results (OKRs) framework and forging a robust culture of data-driven product management, were seeking expert support. Their critical requirement was to empower Product Managers across their 22 high-velocity product delivery squads to meticulously define and establish one indispensable Metric That Matters (OMTM) for each team, instantly clarifying focus and quantifying impact.
The Opportunity
A high-stakes opportunity existed to facilitate a series of high-impact, interactive workshops designed to strategically align teams on the 'why' driving the OMTM approach. These sessions would provide targeted support to rigorously define their specific squad metric and assist in creating clear, actionable plans for OMTM reporting. Our goal was to ensure teams gained expert-level best practices around OKRs, leveraged peer ideation for cross-squad learning, had a safe space for critical questioning, and established a unified, common language for enterprise-wide OKRs.
What We Delivered
To create a dynamic, high-engagement experience that successfully unpacked and validated each squad's critical metric, we executed the following:
Defined a Strategic Data-Driven Maturity Curve: We established a clear, actionable maturity curve specifically for data-driven product management, providing a roadmap for growth.
Curated a Best Practices Toolkit: We organized over 40 proven best practices and strategic tips focused on rigorously defining business value, informing product decisions, establishing robust data baselines and targets, effective data visualization and communication, and building strong action plans.
Designed a High-Energy Remote Workshop: We architected a streamlined, 2-hour, remote workshop experience hosted in Miro, designed to efficiently share critical best practices while maximizing team ideation and collaboration.
Facilitated 3 Impactful Workshop Sessions: We led and facilitated three dynamic workshops engaging over 35 participants, ensuring comprehensive coverage and alignment.
Hosted Targeted 1:1 Coaching Sessions: We conducted individualized, intensive 1:1 sessions with Product Managers and Owners to refine and solidify their metric definitions.
Designed Executive-Ready OMTM Readout Samples: We created polished, sample 1-pager readouts on OMTM, setting a high standard for communication.
Built a Standardized OMTM Reporting Template: We developed a unified 1-pager template for Product Managers and Owners to use, guaranteeing consistent, clear executive communication of their OMTM.
Observed and Assessed 22 Squad Readouts: We meticulously observed the official OMTM readouts of all 22 product squads, identifying critical opportunities for immediate improvement and refinement.
Provided Executive Feedback and Recommendations: We delivered prescriptive leadership feedback based on our observations, along with clear, prioritized recommendations for sustained metric excellence.
What Made a Statement
The initiative resulted in an immediate and significant leap in strategic clarity. In a follow-up meeting after the workshops and executive readouts, one executive leader shared with profound satisfaction: “Of the 22 squads, I only flagged 3 of them as at risk. I felt like that was a really good batting average and ratio of success.” Another executive leader underscored the impact, sharing: “The structure, organization, energy, swift and adaptable approach deserved extreme kudos. I was delighted with the outcome.”
