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I am a digital nomad and have worked remotely for the past six years. I 100% support remote-first and have coached people in the past on how to be successful working outside the office. A little bit of creativity can overcome many of the common reasons people state for wanting to return to the office.
So why am I writing an article making a case for the hybrid work environment? The reality for some is that working from home is not safe. The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice report an 8.1% increase in reported domestic violence incidents at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. Updated metrics are difficult to define, but a reasonable assumption is that number did not go down as the lockdown continued for over a year. The Occupational Safety and Health Act's "General Duty" clause mandates that companies provide each employee with a "a place of employment free of recognizable hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm" (29 U.S.C. Section 654(a)(1)). What Employers Can Do
While remote work is gaining steam and should be a part of any company's plan, an on-premise option is still necessary. Try satellite offices or permanent co-work locations for those who wish to work on-site. Hybrid working models are the future. Resources https://www.workplacesrespond.org/covid19supportingworkers/ https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/get-updates-information-covid-19/ https://store.asisonline.org/workplace-violence-prevention-and-intervention-standard-softcover.html
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 Join me on July 21, 2021, as I talk about the realities of freelancing and how to do it successfully while maintaining your sanity.
Register for the free event on Mintbean: https://mintbean.io/meets/5a97c589-758b-4b6d-9dbc-605f912d7df8  Time is running out, and new features are cropping up like bunnies. How do you decide what goes in and what gets relegated to the backlog? Every company is different, but here is a simple decision tree that may help you make quick decisions.  Focus on high-value, low-cost initiatives that address a consumer need and align with your North Star. Some experts put the value matrix ahead of consumer need and goal alignment, but if the feature does not solve a problem or further your goals, it is noise. What do you do with those "maybe" features? Can you introduce the feature with minimal disruption? If so, go for it. If not, here is where you get to be creative.
Can you think of other reasons why you should or should not include a "maybe" feature? YMMV with this approach. Always use your judgment and validate your decision against your particular context. As with any feature, have a framework in place to test and measure success and make adjustments as necessary.
 Dark patterns are UX/UI designs that trick users into doing something they did not want to do. These interfaces can be obvious or subtle but are always deceptive and place the corporation's value above the consumer's value. Not all dark patterns are apparent. Everyone knows bait-and-switch, but some dark patterns are less overt. Let's look at the example below.  This marketing copy may be an attempt at cuteness or showing personality, but it is a dark pattern called confirmshaming. There is a tumblr dedicated to calling out companies who use confirmshaming. Trick questions and misdirection are other dark patterns commonly used in subtle ways.
Why should you care? Besides being a jerk, using deceptive practices at the minimum will lose trust in your brand, and at worst, could get you into legal trouble. Once consumers lose confidence, it is tough to gain it back. How do I avoid dark patterns? The easiest way to avoid using dark patterns is to be upfront and honest in your design.
DarkPatterns.org works to spread awareness and out companies that use dark patterns in their design. Check out their site for additional examples of dark patterns and what to avoid.  The term neurodiversity is attributed to sociologist Judy Singer who self-identified as being on the autism spectrum. neu·ro·di·ver·si·ty The key to this definition is the phrase "normal variation." We should expect neurological variations just as we expect physical variations among humans.
Examples of common variants include:
Why should you care? Neurodiverse people are often skipped over in the hiring process because they do not fit our perception of a qualified candidate. They are disqualified as not being able to communicate effectively or not a good culture fit. Neurodiverse candidates are often highly intelligent, and their variation may make them exceptionally skilled at tasks that require pattern recognition, memory, or mathematics. Overlooking these candidates because they do not perform well in traditional interviews may lead to a missed opportunity in finding the best talent. Embracing neurodiversity in the workforce takes effort. You may need to make physical accommodations, such as headphones, and will need to learn how to interact with and manage neurodiverse employees. The benefit far outweighs the challenges. Once you embrace neurodiversity, you can pull from a highly talented pool of underutilized workers. Their perspective can counteract groupthink and highlight problems and solutions previously unrecognized. The bottom line. Neurodivergence is normal. We all think differently, some more than others. The more your workforce reflects your potential customer base, the better you will serve your customers' needs. Do not discount talent because they are different. Different is a bonus, and you will reap the benefits of practicing inclusion.  I am a Project Management Professional (PMP) and am considering pursuing the AIPMM Certified Product Management certification. As a practicing professional, I generally believe that certifications have limited practical value and can be detrimental in some situations.
Why would I pursue additional certifications? The number one reason to obtain a certification for seasoned practitioners is visibility. Companies will often use that string of letters after your name as a quick way to filter candidates. Hiring agents do not have to read your resume to locate relevant experience to determine if you're eligible to move to step 2. You have the certification, so you must be qualified. Valid or not, certification also conveys a level of competence and credibility. As a freelancer, visibility is key to obtaining new clients. As an employer, I caution your reliance on requiring certification as a qualification for the position. A junior candidate who can regurgitate process acronyms, make pretty charts from formulas, and generate reams of documentation, is not necessarily better than someone who has been in the trenches for ten years. Do you want someone who can check the box or someone who has the breadth of experience to solve challenges before they become problems? In some companies, regulations require the ream of documentation. Hiring someone intimately familiar with and who enjoys producing information by the book is perfectly reasonable. Other companies need someone able to synthesize concepts, think strategically, and create opportunities rooted in the current context. Wow, you hate certifications. Not true. I believe certifications are an excellent tool for those starting out and want to learn foundational concepts that they can leverage out of the gate. My struggle with certifications is when companies use them as a proxy for ability. I will most likely play the game and obtain further certification as a business development expense in the next year. At the same time, I urge both companies and candidates to look at the value they place on certification. Companies need to evolve their hiring practices to incorporate an honest understanding of the candidate's qualifications to succeed in the position and how to screen applicants to meet the criteria. Job seekers need to understand that certification provides a foundation, but the important takeaway is how to apply concepts to the real world. Just because the book outlines a specific process, it may not work in all cases. The bottom line. Do you want a pool of resources who can think, synthesize, and move a product forward, or do you want someone who can check a box? There are places for both types of candidates. It is the company's responsibility and the candidate to understand the best fit for their specific situation and only move forward if their goals align. As we move closer to a truly global workforce, it will take a bit more work to find the right match, but the benefits will outweigh the effort.  In the pursuit of continuing education and personal growth, I frequently come across classes and seminars with titles such as "A Master Class in Skill X" or "Master the Art of Skill Y." For some reason, the term "master" does not sit well with me. Oxford Languages defines the verb master as follows:
Based on these definitions, when you master a skill, you're done; there is no further room for growth. I do not feel that we can ever master soft skills like communication or leadership. Over time, we can improve even applied skills, such as writing code or creating a physical product. We can become extremely proficient, but there is always room to grow. Because the world around us does not remain static, we must continually adapt how we apply our skills.
The adjective master means having or showing very great skill or proficiency. "An emotional performance from a master pianist." I can accept this definition, but I would prefer to use the term proficient or highly skilled. It feels insincere to claim that someone will master a skill by taking a class or seminar. Proficiency happens over time. Even people at elite levels will tell you they still strive to improve. Continuous improvement should be the goal, not mastery. What are your thoughts? Do you have a different response to the term master? How would you re-brand a master class?  Regardless of what side you are on, the GameStop saga illustrates the importance of understanding how actors can game the system. If you need a quick primer on what happened, check out this article on Lesswrong.
As a product owner, you have pre-conceived ideas about who will use your product and how they will use it. You identify the consumer's intent, define tasks necessary to fulfill that intent, and string them together in an easy-to-use flow. What happens when consumers do not use the product as intended? Better yet, what happens when the wrong actors use the product exactly as intended? When defining a product, work through scenarios where both malicious and benign actors use the product. How can a user game the system? What are the impacts of gaming on revenue, reputation, and other consumers? How will you recover in this scenario, and what is your exposure? When defining product functionality, go beyond the happy path and basic error handling. Imagine how actors can use the product for unintended purposes or game the system. You may ask why anyone would do that. The answer is always because they can.  We are reaching the one-year mark where most people in the US experienced the first COVID-19 related shutdown. At that time, many believed it would be a temporary adjustment, and then we would get back to normal. It turns out we were way off base with that prediction.
Over the last year, we have gone through an evolution in how we work, how we communicate, and perhaps a re-evaluation of our priorities. The pandemic forced companies to implement new working models across all sectors and industries. The technology sector was the quickest to adapt, but traditional manufacturing and farming sectors also implemented transformative practices. Many of these practices have proven beneficial and will remain in place after the pandemic has passed. One change I've noticed in social forums is an increased focus on engaging in conversations and creating meaningful connections. Content is less one-directional -- talking at you -- and more bi-directional -- talking with you. I enjoy the perspective of building a relationship with people I may not have had the opportunity to engage with in the past. While interacting beyond our geographic area was possible, we tended to focus on our immediate circle. Specifically, as physical location becomes less important in the technology industry, we will benefit from a global workforce. What positive changes have you seen as a result of the challenges of the last year? What are you happy to leave behind? What are you looking forward to in the future? |