Understanding the Dynamics that Drive High-Performance on Product Teams

by Greg Geracie

Do you recall our event at Athena Healthcare? 

Several years ago, I presented the findings of our most recent research to BPMA members in a packed house at Athena Healthcare. It was a very lively meeting as I shared the data from our research and regression analysis.

This year, I am pleased to announce that I will again be collaborating with BPMA leadership on sharing our current findings. For those of you unfamiliar with our research let me provide some context. Actuation Consulting is a product management consulting organization that was established back in 2007. We aid organizations in successfully standing up or enhancing the effectiveness of their product management organizations working closely with the head of product and the leadership team. 

Back in 2012 we began to conduct global surveys seeking to determine what differentiates high-performance product teams from the pack. We generally conduct this study annually, with only a few exceptions. It is done in partnership with a broad variety of organizations that do not normally collaborate. For instance, this year our sponsor was Planbox and our primary partner is the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA). 

The data we collect via anonymous surveys is aggregated and put through regression analysis by an independent statistician. We then publish a whitepaper containing the results of our research that is widely available to the public. The findings have been incorporated into books and various publications. 

What is in it for us? We use the final regression analysis findings in our consulting engagements and training courses. However, we do not believe in hoarding this data, which is why we present at BPMA, SVPMA, PDMA, etc. We want practitioners to have access to this information to help improve the performance of their own product teams and organizations. 

We have now collected 31 factors that all contribute to making a product team high-performing. Not all factors are weighted alike. Some have a strong correlation others less so. 

We also have been tracking a wide variety of topics longitudinally since 2012. For instance, we have been tracking product development methodology adoption rates. We now have 6 years of data. It has been interesting to watch Waterfall’s ebb and Agile’s rise (particularly Scrum). We have visually represented the various methodologies ebbs and flows in the whitepaper and we will discuss the current state in the upcoming BPMA event on January 28th. 

This year the regression analysis also turned up four new factors that contribute high-performance on product teams. We will explore them in detail during the January webinar. 

I would also like to mention that we are currently collecting survey input on a new survey that explores the pandemics impact to product development activities. It is our pandemic edition. Here is the link if you are interested in participating. It takes just seven minutes. I am hoping to be able to include a couple data points from the pandemic edition in the January webinar. Consider it a peak under the tent as we will not have published the pandemic findings at that point. We are aiming to release the findings in February of 2021. 

I look forward to the upcoming January 28th event and I am eager to share our latest findings with the BPMA membership! I hope you join us. 

About the Author

Greg Geracie is a recognized thought leader in the field of product management and the CEO of Actuation Consulting, the world's leading product management consulting and training organization. Actuation Consulting is a global provider of product management consulting, training, and advisory services to many of world’s most well-known organizations.

Greg is the author of two global best sellers Take Charge Product Management and The Guide to the Product Management and Marketing Body of Knowledge.
You can learn more about Greg and Actuation Consulting at www.ActuationConsulting.com.