José Mota

Back from PTO! In this episode I explain with some detail what it really means to be a good product manager, and clarifying some typical misunderstandings about the role or variations of it.

Reference material:

• Nils Davis: https://alltheresponsibility.com/
• BRIDGeS framework: https://railsware.com/bridges-framework/
• Ralph Jocham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphjocham/

If you're a knowledge worker, part of a team that builds digital products or somehow are involved in them, then you must know that there are multiple ways to go about solving customer problems, some of them better than others. In the end, we all want to achieve the same result: to build something that matters and to forge sustainable relationships with happy customers.

Group coaching series starts Oct 3rd! Get 50% off if you sign up until Aug 12th. Email coaching@josemota.net to register.

—

If you're a solopreneur, you understand how incredibly important it is to exercise all visionary, integrator, and catalyst skills. In this episode I'll explain you how you can start exercising all three stances in small steps. My practice as a coach requires all three of them actively and constantly dancing around. Let me explain how that happens and how you can too through the ELSPARC process.

A successful initiative requires three key components: a visionary, an integrator, and a catalyst/coach. I explain my proposition for this triangle of leadership.

References:

"Traction", by Gene Wickman: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-book

Group coaching series starts next fall — 50% off if you sign up before August 12th!

Email coaching@josemota.net for details and registration.

---

Remember the story of that little girl and the three bears? Not too much, not too little, but "just right". I explore the Goldilocks principle applied to learning and leadership.

Do you know this proverb that says: "An old dog can't learn new tricks"? I am telling you, that proverb is funny for adult educators like me because I don't believe that, I don't!

References:

Carol Dweck's book "Mindset": https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40745.Mindset

When we improve the way we speak, not only it relays information, it also relays emotions like inspiration, motivation, challenge, empathy, and achievement.

What good does it do to manage time if you don't know the purpose to which you use it? It starts there: your purpose.

Waiting for the right conditions doesn't matter. Get to work and celebrate progress over perfection.

Accountability is good on its own, without liability. Understand the difference, leverage it to be more effective and productive.

Listen to the entire series on procrastination here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/josemotanet/episodes/022--Understand-procrastination-1-Fear-and-overwhelm-e23r7l2

Reclaiming motivation in today's day and age is still somewhat simple, despite all distractions, competition and stimuli. It only takes a little bit of discipline and a sprinkle of time.

Oh, distractions. Who doesn't have them in 2023? Life is more exciting than it's ever been, and it's in our best interest to give the right time to the right things. When we are distracted, we lose focus and we procrastinate. It's that simple.

Good news for you: there is a right time to be distracted, every day, every week, every year. You are entitled to it, and you get to choose when. When you accept distraction for what it is, you leverage it by being intentional about when to do absolutely focused work and then rewarding yourself with something to cool off.

A new series on procrastination, a very broad topic that is discussed everyday, everywhere, by a lot of different people, more or less of an expert. I'm not one of them and yet I am very much aware of this issue because I too fall into it frequently! My experience with it is very practical and empirical, and what I'm sharing today is based entirely on that.

Reference material

• How to use outlining (https://josemota.net/resources/outlining)

You have your own jar of things you can fit in a day. Pick the rocks first, then the pebbles and finally the sand.

Much like babies and toddlers, adults go through the same set of stages when learning and growing. Coaches typically engage with clients at different stages of growth. The starting point is always different for each of them, and yet the approach or sequence stays almost the same.

How can digital products be compared to painting? How close are you to painting a product? Let's take a closer look at how the different steps of painting can almost directly map to digital products.

Using powerful words have an immensely positive impact, borderline transformative. It will mean the difference between making a person feel apprehensive and demotivated to excited, confident and motivated. Open questions that entrust the other person are key to solid relationships based on trust and psychological safety.

Reverse your relationship with time when building product. Measure how much time it takes to take an idea from backlog to customers instead of how many ideas per fixed unit of time.

I'm back after a 2 year hiatus with a controversial topic on managing product value within teams and organizations.

What is the most important quality for a leader? I would say it's the ability to visualize a system or business and its surroundings. In order to thrive, you need to take action, but what actions do you take?

José mentions three questions that leaders can ask when faced with challenges.

Show notes

• Super-BC: https://www.super-bc.com

How do you feel about the way you interact with your colleagues and leaders? Do you listen actively hoping to learn something from them or do you preemptively assume you're better and therefore you close off at the first divergence? José shares his ideas on having positive conversations and discussions with others for the better of both parties.

José brings the dreaded topic of meetings. How can they be held to a better reputation than they are today? Formal or casual, a meeting requires a goal and a structure, and there are little tips that can turn a dull, unproductive meeting to a valuable experience for the entire team.

A dear friend of José sets an example of kind, friendly leadership that drives people to do their best.

In this episode, José shares his learning experience when faced with a conflict between several people and their lack of self control.

Giving constructive, meaningful feedback requires a thoughtful approach. Promoting success and lending a hand to improve is often overlooked. This episode, José discusses the sandwich technique for a better feedback experience.

Got any feedback? Send it over to podcast@josemota.net

I tell a story about a passionate person not being able to convey his message across to his supervisor. I also share my insights on how to address other people's opinions.

Welcome to the show! José introduces himself and explains the reasons behind starting the podcast.

Have suggestions? Want to participate? Feel free to reach out.

• http://josemota.net
• http://linkedin.com/in/josemotanet
• http://anchor.fm/josemotanet