Business Impact
Over a decade of exposing some of the seamier sides of the profession of Product Management. An irreverent traipse through the thickets, some past wisdom, packaged with wit, profanity, and references to intoxicating substances.
Strap in, it's gonna get bumpy!
One thing that really grinds the Dude's gears is the annual review process(es). Sometime in the early aughts, it became the custom for employees to "review" themselves. That is, they are required to fill out the form for the annual performance review, and their manager then reviews, adds any color, and then Makes it So.
Over the years, it has evolved from Word templates, to some really bizarre home-grown web based apps, and now it is likely some third-party, formal web application that streamlines the process, but it still is largely the employee doing the heavy lift.
And this pisses the Dude off.
Look, managers get more money, they get more stock, their variable comp is higher. That is because they are supposed to manage their staff. And that includes the ensuring that their staff is fairly evaluated.
The latest round, the Dude's manager asked him to assemble a list of activities that had "business impact". So the Dude put together a list and reviewed it with his manager. And it was a lot of "that is just stuff your job role does, but things that move the needle."
Are you telling the Dude that doing what his formal job description documents isn't adding value to the business? Then why the FUCK is it part of the God damned job description? If you are only looking for "swing for the fences" shit, then remove all the mundane shit in the role.
Oh, what's that, when we don't do those "mundane" items business falls? Other groups start bitching? Revenue begins to drop? Development slows down and defocuses? How can that not be a positive business impact.
Or are you telling the Dude to only do things that are big bets, but sure enough bets that they are going to move the needle? And if the Dude doesn't have enough of them on his ledger, he will get a shitty review?
And you fucking wonder why "Quiet Quitting" is a thing?
Don't get the Dude started about professional development conversations.
Since the Dude is off all the usual socials, how about doing him a solid and sharing this. Either forward the link, or share it on:
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