Do you believe when things are right, you don't even need to force it, things will not be as difficult. But........ If we don't........... Blah blah blah....... I get that sort of things quite often when I was back in the office. But the trouble I found, have been always the rules, the unspoken expectations, the assumptions, even the "routines" that were the driving force, rather than the actual tasks derived from the goals.
Product review (which is a big thing for any product managers), a periodical task that no sound organisation would say no without considering the ramifications of not doing it. But does it have to do it around the same time, with the same rules, how much effort etc, those may not be considered by the team. I really dislike when people give me "That's the way it is, and how it was done before...." - I can respect that, but don't expect me to follow it without questioning it or to do it another way. I may even call out some products (end of cycle), can be done via a minor review perhaps, so the focus can be shifted to the major launches / profit driven products, and not to waste the team's effort. There might even be an upskilling opportunity there if I want to be creative enough. The purpose itself is the key.... Why the hell are we doing this. If I don't know, nothing is right. If I don't know, I will feel forced. I assume others could well suffer the same fate. If that's the case, I would say cut the product review and go back to the team 101 - communication first. Something is broken. Stop - so it can be rebuilt in the right way. Keep building on a sinking ship, doesn't help.... patching / fixing could be the priority.
PS: If the only way doesn't work for me, it means no way. Unless, I am something else, maybe there is a way. But this isn't me right now. The idea is ok, why is this the only way? what else? are we even clear on what we "think" we know? Or were there other reasons unknown? I don't know is already better than this or that way.
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