Launch Clinic

Repeatable Product Launch Process - Prepare Phase

This is the third of four posts providing an overview of the Repeatable Product Launch Process which is delivered in the Product Launch Essentials seminar. So far I’ve covered the Organize Phase and the Evaluate Phase. In this post I’m going to share with you the Prepare Phase which is about assembling the launch team and developing the plans to fill the Launch Readiness gaps you’ve identified in the Evaluate Phase. 

Prepare Phase

Exiting the Evaluate Phase, you would have identified the constraints (speed bumps) that can get in the way of achieving the launch goals. You would do this by conducting a Launch Readiness Assessment on the functional areas that are impacted by a launch. The Launch Readiness Assessment would reveal the most critical areas that need your attention and establishes a baseline for improving launch readiness.

Launch Team

A cross-functional launch team is vital to a successful product launch. As the Launch Owner you can’t possibly have expertise in every functional area in your company. You get that expertise through a cross-functional launch team.

Many organizations use cross-functional teams but don’t get the value they could. The whole point of a cross-functional team is to get more stuff done, much better, in less time. Unfortunately many cross-functional teams don’t get proper support from management which can result in a lack of accountability for individual contributors on the team. What it means for the Launch Owner is extra work behind the scenes scrambling to finish deliverables that someone on the team didn’t complete.

There are four roles on the cross-functional launch team:

• Launch Owner
• Executive Sponsor
• Functional Area Representatives
• Project Manager (appears mostly in larger companies)

The Launch Owner is the leader of the launch team and has accountability for achieving the launch goals. The Executive Sponsor is an often overlooked role that can be enormously valuable particularly in larger organizations. The Executive Sponsor can serve as a mentor to the Launch Owner and provide muscle in the organization when needed. Functional Area Representatives are individuals from the departments affected by a product launch. They need the authority to represent their department much in the same way an ambassador does for a country. Project Managers provide support to Launch Owners when acting like a chief of staff, apprising you of problem areas and keeping track of action item details.

The Product Launch Essentials seminar covers each role in more detail and provides a complete set of tools to help you set expectations, organize the product launch team, and drive results.

Launch Team Tracker

One of the tools we share in the seminar is the Launch Team Tracker. It’s a simple tool for capturing action items, issues and decisions while conducting launch team meetings. The Launch Team Tracker helps you hold team members accountable for their action items and gives you a way to document action item status, new issues, and decisions that are made. How many times have you revisited an issue that was already addressed, losing valuable time in the process?

Fill Gaps

The results of your Launch Readiness Assessment will reveal launch readiness gaps. Don’t panic if you discover there are more things that need to be fixed than you have time or resources to address. This is normal. The key is to focus on the few that have the most impact on achieving your launch goals.

The output of the Fill Gaps activity will be the plans that address your launch readiness gaps, and is one of the first activities the launch team should tackle. These plans will be referenced in the Product Launch Plan that is built in the Execute Phase.

Next: Execute Phase

In the final installment I’ll introduce you to the Execute phase, where you’ll build the Product Launch Plan, monitor launch progress and report to management on how the product launch is progressing.

Product launch and the project management office (PMO)

A topic covered in the Product Launch Essentials seminar is cross-functional launch teams. In particular we address how to organize the teams and how to drive results. Most of you know how big a problem it is to get launch team members to participate and to be accountable for their deliverables. We provide tools to help launch owners in this effort.

Is your PMO working for you or against you?

In the seminar we advocate the role of Launch Owner, the person tasked with the responsibility for achieving your product launch goals. Some organizations utilize a project management office (PMO) to facilitate product launch activities and I wanted to explore that with you in more detail. For some of you the PMO is working just fine, but for many of you it can be a frustrating process that doesn’t seem to be in sync with what you’re trying to accomplish with your product launch.

So why is there a PMO in the first place?

Before talking about the role of the PMO in product launch, let me ask a question. Why would you have a PMO to start with? What problem does the PMO solve?

The most likely reason your organization would consider introducing a PMO is because of a lack of launch readiness to market, sell and support your product, and this was occurring with a frequency at a level that management finds unacceptable.

The primary reason for poor launch readiness are many. Let me suggest two, just for discussion purposes. First, the person generally recognized as being responsible for launch lacks important project management skills. She may be stellar in other areas but not very good with coordinating schedules and getting things done. I know this is harsh but it can be true. Just because you’re good at identifying unsolved market problems or shepherding product design and development through engineering doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at driving the launch readiness of your organization across many functional boundaries.

Second, it’s because the person responsible for launch (perhaps you) doesn’t have enough time and needs the extra resource to get things done. They’re responsible for cross functional readiness but time demands in other areas prevent them for dedicating the time needed for a successful launch. Granted this reason is the most plausible.

What’s the role of the PMO in product launch?

The role of an effective PMO is to help us get stuff done. They herd cats and they identify bottlenecks. They are enormously valuable when functioning in this capacity. But, they shouldn’t be accountable for achieving launch goals. They’re responsible for getting things done and that’s the role we value.

They free up time for us to focus on more strategic issues and help us achieve the best possible product launch outcome.

Clarifying roles and responsibilities

In organizations where there a PMO exists it’s important to establish clear lines of authority and responsibility between the Launch Owner and the Project Manager. I advocate the Launch Owner as the individual accountable for achieving the launch goals. In this role he acts as the commander-in-chief of the launch. The Project Manager role acts as the chief-of-staff to the Launch Owner, driving completion of deliverables and activities, advising the Launch Owner of issues, proposing alternative actions and providing project status.

Where things go wrong

Problems arise when too much control is transferred from the Launch Owner to the Project Manager – or maybe there isn’t a Launch Owner at all. The Launch Owner must have a big picture view of the go-to-market strategy and often makes ad-hoc trade-offs to ensure the best possible launch outcome. The Project Manager on the other hand may not have a big picture perspective, focusing (rightly) on getting things done according to a schedule of deliverables (product launch checklist). As attendees of my Product Launch Essentials seminar learn, a completed checklist doesn’t guarantee launch success, especially if it’s not anchored in a launch strategy.

Are you expecting too much from your PMO?

Have you established clear lines of responsibility between the PMO and the Launch Owner?

Is the Project Manager becoming the de facto Launch Owner?

Product launch is a team sport

Have you ever been responsible for a product launch and felt like you were the only one doing the work? I see this happening often in organizations of all sizes. A product manager or product marketing manager is responsible for launch, but winds up doing most of the work herself, even when there’s a launch team.

The breakdown occurs because the launch team isn’t really a team at all. It’s a collection of individuals from various parts of the organization who are impacted by the launch, but whose management doesn’t encourage or reward their participation in the launch team. Sound familiar? Why would a launch team member put in hard work to make the product launch successful if it's not deemed important by their management?

Note to the CEO. If you want your cross-functional launch team to work together toward a successful product launch, make their participation on the team a priority and acknowledge their contribution. Most organizations get to launch once per year. The opportunity costs are too high to not make it a priority.

Photo: CalPoly Rodeo Team

Technorati Tags: product launch,cross-functional teams

Cross-Functional Teams - the Grand Illusion of Collaboration

Cross-functional teams are a requirement for a successful product lunch.  Unfortunately most implementations of CFTs are nothing more than an illusion of collaboration.  Executives introduce CFTs as a way to cure organizational dysfunction – the big lie.  When implemented poorly (the norm) CFTs are wasteful exercises in forcing people with misaligned objectives to work together to solve a problem.  In these instances the CFT leader goes through the motions, endures enormous hassle and spends more time to get less done.

Implementing powerful cross-functional teams requires a cultural shift, setting high expectations of team members, aligning objectives and providing training.  When done right it’s magic. It just doesn’t happen organically.

Technorati Tags: cross-functional teams,launch teams,product launch

My first cross-(dys)functional team experience

I have come to embrace the use of cross-functional teams for product launch as being vital.  But my initial exposure to cross-functional teams was frustrating to say the least.  I was working for Viasoft in Phoenix.  At the time Viasoft was rocking and rolling due to Y2K hysteria and we were loving every minute of it.  Viasoft had grown to a size where bringing a new product or version to market was getting complex, and being a publicly held company there were more T’s to cross and I’s to dot.

For the most part the company was winging product launches. Diving catches in the end zone with seconds before the game ends were the norm. Wisely, the management team adopted the cross-functional team (CFT) approach.  We started a project office and a small team of people with no previous product launch experience were given the task of defining a company standard project template for product launch.  These folks were talented project managers with a commanding knowledge of MS Project, but they just weren’t familiar with the nuance of bring a software product to market.  There are lots of variables and gray areas that aren’t always easy to represent in a project plan.

I was given responsibility of a product line and walked into my first CFT.  The attendees were already designated and of course we had someone from the project office to oversee the process.  I walked into a conference room filled with 22 people.  These were people from every nook and cranny of the company and believed they had a stake in the process.  I conducted the meeting and smiled, but knew that this would never work.  This many people in a room at one time is counter productive.  Period. The first meeting went for several hours. The expense to the company on an hourly basis was immense.

Keep in mind that although the company wanted CFTs to improve execution, we didn’t receive any training on how to use CFTs effectively.  Every product manager approached their CFTs differently.  Some refused to use them at all.  I decided to lean into it.

I started by setting some ground rules.  First, there could only be one representative from each functional area.  That person must have the authority to act on behalf of their department.  That one took a little finesse to make happen, but it worked. OK, now the number of people was cut down considerably.

Second, I limited CFT meetings to 1 hour.  This was a status meeting.  Anything that started down the path of problem solving or brainstorming was tabled and scheduled as a separate meeting.

Third, I developed a standing agenda that was distributed in advance of the CFT meeting.  Everyone had what they needed to be prepared for the meeting.  And they knew if their participation was mandatory or optional.

Fourth, I schedule a standing meeting.  Same day of the week.  Same time.  Even when I was traveling we conducted the meeting. No excuses for not knowing when the meeting was scheduled.

Fifth, it became apparent that these meetings could easily be dominated by the development team going over the status of the most minute feature details that had no relevance to a number of the CFT members.  To address this  I scheduled a separate, standing meeting with the product development group just to cover product development status.  Established members of the CFT could attend if they wanted, but it wasn’t mandatory.

Sixth, I designated someone to take meeting minutes.  That freed me up to drive the meeting and keep the flow going.

I still had challenges and learned many more ways to make CFTs better, but these 6 simple things enabled the team to be more effective, more attentive and more committed to achieving results.

Understanding and Using Launch Cross Functional Teams

Launch Cross Functional Teams (CFTs) can be a very effective tool to expedite a launch.  If not used properly, they can also be your worst nightmare.  You need to consider the purpose of the Launch CFT, organization, how to manage meetings and discussion, tracking progress, and gaining committment.

Too often Launch CFTs are introduced as a response to poor execution of a launch.  The belief is that if we could get someone from each department that is affected by a launch in a room on a regular basis and make sure we get their input, everything would magically improve.  The intentions are good but when you’re on a deadline to launch, a democratized approach will more often than not fail to meet these expectation.

Purpose

First let’s start with the purpose of a Launch CFT.  Launching a product, particularly in a larger organization, is a process with lots of details that can easily be missed.  Expecting one person to remember every detail is not realistic.  A Launch CFT has two purposes.  The first is to bring the widest possible range of expertise to the party so that, hopefully, every detail is surfaced, documented and addressed - thoroughness.  The second purpose of a Launch CFT is to improve time to market.  They may seem to be opposing purposes, but they work very well when organized and managed effectively.

Organization

The organization of the Launch CFT is critical.  My first experience with a Launch CFT was walking into a conference room with 22 people.  I knew immediately that I was going to fail unless I got the number down to a manageable size.

An effective Launch CFT has one representative from each functional area that has the ability to make commitments on behalf of that functional area.  If the representative cannot make commitments, they will be wasting everyone’s time.  If team members start to get a sense that their time is being wasted, you will find them not showing up to meetings. 

Picking the right representative for each functional area is key.  Don’t assume that the department manager will select the best representative.  She may pick the person with the least workload.  Do your homework and identify the best available resources.

Expectations

As the leader of the Launch CFT it’s important to clearly define the goals of the Launch CFT to the team and what is expected of them.  There can be no ambiguity or assumption.  Even if you have experienced Launch CFT members from previous teams, it’s still vital to set expectations, including the consequences if those expectations are not met.

It is also vital for the management team to understand the importance of the Launch CFT to the organization and why their support is fundamental to success.  If a VP doesn’t believe a Launch CFT is important his attitude could spill over into his organization have a negative impact on your ability to manage the Launch CFT.

Managing Meetings

Launch CFT meetings should be as brief as possible. For most Launch CFTs one hour is plenty of time. Every meeting should have an agenda that is distributed several days before the meeting.  You want your team members to have sufficient time to prepare.  The frequency of meetings is up to you, but Launch Clinic suggests increasing the frequency as the launch nears.  For example in the Planning Phase of the launch you my want to meet every two weeks.  In the Readiness Phase you would shift to weekly meetings, possibly down to daily as the Launch Phase approaches.

Depending on the agenda, it won’t be necessary to invite every member to every meeting.  In the agenda, be sure to indicate which members are required to attend and which ones are optional.

To move the meeting along and keep discussion flowing, include someone to keep track of time and document action items, issues and decisions.  This frees the Launch CFT leader to focus on driving the meeting.

Use a consistent and structured way to keep track of action items, issues and decisions.  Launch Clinic has a Launch CFT Tracker that has been proven in years of use that you can download here. When an action item is identified that needs to be addressed, document it, assign it and get a date for completion.  When an issue is identified, document it and assign it.  Likewise, when a decision is made, document it.  Use the contents of the Launch CFT Tracker to keep track of details and drive the launch forward.

Communication

As the leader of your Launch CFT you have a responsibility to communicate progress - good and bad.  In many cases the Launch CFT Tracker may be all you need to communicate progress.  In other cases a summary email may work better, particularly for the management team.

Driving the Process

The Launch CFT leaders responsibilities don’t end with the Launch CFT Tracker and Launch CFT meetings.  You have to drive a process forward using resources that are not under your direct supervision and may have priorities (or incentives) that are not consistent with your objective of delivering a successful launch. Reach out to Launch CFT members by phone and give them reminders that help them keep their CFT commitments at the top of their priority list.

Common Launch CFT Issues

Below are some common Launch CFT issues and suggestions on how you could approach them.

Failure to gain commitment - sometimes you have a CFT member that you just can’t get a commitment from.  He consistently dodges deadlines and makes excuses.  Because of the transparency of using the CFT Tracker, his lack of performance is obvious.  Either the member is the wrong guy or he has an issue with you the product or the process.  You may be better off replacing him and moving on.

Too much product discussion - Launch CFTs are not forums to iron out product details.  If discussion about product issues are dominating the Launch CFT meeting consider having a separate meeting dedicated for that purpose.  Product feature discussion can denegrate into very heated (and often irrational) non-productive debate.  Get it off the table as quickly as you can.

Members don’t show up to meetings - discuss the issue with the department manager first and escalate it to the management team if it doesn’t improve.  Reach out to members to find out why they’re not attending.  What are the other priorities that are impacting their participation in the Launch CFT?

Too many people attend the meetings - a simple technique is to hold the meetings in a place that is just barely large enough for the required attendees.  Have one chair short of the required needed.  If that doesn’t work address the issue directly with the people who invited themselves and explain your rules of the road.