TBM 2/53: Three Options
It may be simple, but the three options prompt is a powerful way to move conversations forward.
In a recent coaching session, A VP of Product was explaining the new strategy. "What three options did you decide against and why?" I asked. I assumed they had other coherent options that didn't make the cut. "Oh, I'd have to think about our meetings. For the last couple weeks I've been in pitch mode with the strategy we decided on," she replied. She showed me the presentation. It popped. But...no mention of the options she had considered and rejected.
This was a missed opportunity. Why? Explaining rejected options provides important context. It conveys rigor and decision making integrity. The criteria and thought process becomes more understandable. Having one option is scary. Sometimes one option is just the middling, mash everything together, have no real perspective grab-bag option. It was the best mediocre option. Or a desperate path.
Imagine you are a new product designer or product manager at that company. You join the a couple days after the launch of big bold strategy. You have all the regular questions. Good questions. Someone sends you a link to VP of Product's presentation. "OK. This makes sense but how about....?" You're missing so much context.
A great second and third option inspires confidence. It means the team made an actual decision. The VP of Product added a couple slides. It made a big difference.
Consider documenting:
What options did you consider but ultimately reject? Why? What might change that would inspire the team to reconsider those options? Walk through your assumptions. Describe your confidence levels. When will you revisit the current selected option?
Three options is also great for finding the right resolution for a team mission. Can the team identify at least three different ways to achieve the goal? If the team is tacking on a goal for outcome theater, well...the goal isn't very helpful. Call the kettle black and build X. That's your bet. Did it work?
We define problems and opportunities to inspire creative problem solving and aligned autonomy. Say a team brainstorms potential solutions and has fifty options. That might suggest that the playing field is too broad. Suggest the team narrows it a bit. If you find the right opportunity resolution you'll have fewer compelling options.
This a great test for OKRs. If the objective (the O) is Deliver X, well you have no other option. Not a great OKR. Unless you really need to Deliver X. That’s ok in some cases.
Reflecting, this is one of those things that we know but forget. When it's done to us, we feel uneasy. And then make the same mistake ourselves. This is your reminder! Describe the three 2020 strategies NOT pursued. And when you frame the next problem for your team, ask yourself if you can dream up a handful of diverse options.
Oh. Remember. One option is always to do nothing. Who knows, maybe the problem will fix itself. Doing nothing is the ever-present option #4.
Thank you so much for checking out the series. I appreciate the opportunity to change up my approach to sharing content. Based on feedback, I'll change BM to TBM. As a new parent I can relate.
Tidbits:
Recent Twitter thread on what I’ve learned chatting to teams about “data”.
I’m doing AMAs for any team that can get >=4 people to read the North Star Playbook. You can read the book here. Still can’t believe my day job is basically coaching and helping external teams (mostly non-customers).
Aaron Dignan (author of Brave New Work) and Buster Benson (author of Why Are We Yelling: The Art of Productive Disagreement) record a podcast episode !
Great workshop in SF: Strategic design for services: promises and patterns
with Majid Iqbal. There might still be room.Lex Roman is doing a course on getting started with analytics.