Your Objective

In the spirit of this project, instead of starting with my objective, let’s start with yours. You want a lot of different, fairly context specific things from a somewhat-technical manager type like me. But I’m betting your list includes:

• Engagement with organizational objectives and a commitment to achieving them
• Initiative
• Appropriate communication
• More than you bargained for (in a good way)
• Someone who will never leave you hanging
• Domain knowledge (Why is this last?)

This is a good time to remind you that if you want to know more, reaching out via LinkedIn is currently the best option.

Three Pictures

Three thousand words saved.

 

Technical Goldilocks

“Not technical enough” versus “too technical.”

If you have ever product managed in a digitally oriented business, you have been labeled as one or both of these things.

Just when I think I have it mastered, I run into a new stakeholder who needs their explanations framed a bit more in one direction or the other.

“But what are you typically?” You might be asking. Or put another way, “Are you a technical product manager?”

Short answer: No.

Long answer: It depends. In certain domains, I have some fairly deep technical knowledge and can take on most, if not all, technical tasks required. In many other areas, I understand a lot more than I can do.

I know what procedural vs object-oriented vs functional programming is and what the likely implications these approaches may have for a given solution and team support. I’m not a master of any of those three. I wouldn’t bother taking a coding test.

I can spin up a Docker container and test something locally. Know my way around git. If you show me a scrap of code, I can probably tell you the language more than half the time.

Middle answer: I aim to be just technical enough. Goldilocks with a passion for learning all I can.

Assessments

I nearly called this section “Astrology Without Starlight.” Sometimes that’s how the many and varied personality/work-style assessments feel.

In my experience, when we read what purport to be evidenced based descriptions of our personalities, our brains go into overdrive to make our self-image fit (or escape) the description. The vagary of the words helps that along.

That said, when I did the Gallup Clifton Strengths assessments a couple years ago, I felt seen. Almost embarrassed.

Here are my top five strengths: Learner, Intellection, Ideation, Achiever, and Adaptability.

The assessment identifies weaknesses too. I’m working those and will share them only if you ask. This is an un-resume, not a non-resume, after all.

What I Don’t Want

I don’t want to spend my days doing what I have done already. I’m not necessarily saying I have mastered those things. Sometimes my ego has told me I have, but the rest of me knows better. I like exploring, learning, discovering. That’s an upside and a downside, I get that. But that’s me.