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Recognizing and acknowledging employees and colleagues is critical for motivation, engagement, and job satisfaction. But how can we do better at recognizing our team members and teammates? Who should do it? When is a good time? And why, as product people, is it especially important? Join us as we dive headfirst into 2021 and into the importance of acknowledging accomplishments, great and small.

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the product manager or UX designer in your life? Look no further. We've got you covered. Whether it's a small token of appreciation or a major splurge, there is something on our list sure to satisfy discerning tastes. We cover items for less expensive to very nice, along with a few surprise bonuses. So take a listen if you need ideas for yourself or someone in your life.Check out the Holiday Gift Guide Article on our site as well!Product Managers: Estimation Dice - $12 Empowered - $28Or check out any book from this list Audible Subscription - $150 Leather Notebook Cover - $89 MTP Annual Membership - $250 Webcam and Mic - $220 Bose 700 Headphones - $340 Product/UX Designers: Wireframing notebook from Moo $19.99https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8LRwrKH7_I Subscription gifting:  Setapp, $9.99 The noun project, $39.99 for a year  Blush - modular illustration, $12/mo Udemy - gift a course! Wrist rest ($36)We hotkey all day Royal Seat Cushion from Purple, $79-99 Candle subscription for WFH from Vellabox, $60 for 3mos (prepay)  Bonus: Gift card exchangehttps://www.reddit.com/r/giftcardexchange/Get stamps for your designer friends!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we give 10 shout-outs (and a few bonuses) to some products we're using and love. From apps on our computers, to apps on our phones, to the best cup of hot chocolate, settle in for a holiday treat as we talk good product and design.  Secura Milk Frother Setapp: Netflix of apps Elevate: Brain training CleanShot X: screenshot & screen recording Fossil Smartwatch Noizio: background noise Weebly Todoist: task management TP Link: Smart home switches Karabiner-Elements: Key-binding for keyboards (Not a product but life-saver) All the sketch plugins by Jason Burns Eva's keyboard: https://imgur.com/a/mQ9EGIl

In this episode we sat down with Adam Thomas, a product manager, leader and coach, to talk about 3 main cognitive biases in product teams and what we can do about them. We discussed how product managers are responsible for the decision fitness and process, and how to move from system one thinking to system two thinking. Buckle up for another great discussion. Links and notes: Wasps: From Murder Hornets to Red Velvet Ants Identifying and Addressing Common Biases in Product Management Thinking Fast and Slow (by Daniel Kahneman) Adam Thomas - Product Person

In this episode, we interviewed Ali Maquet, a Principal Portfolio Manager at WGU. She has had an array of experience, from working as a business analyst, a scrum master, a product manager and now a portfolio manager. She gives advice for moving into different roles, shaping your role, working with different disciplines, and building trust. Ali is one of the best, so get ready for an amazing conversation.  What to do if you're considering a move to product How to shape your role Having difficult conversations and building trust Remote work and working agreements Advice for leaders

It's critical we continue our learning and development as product managers and UX designers. But it can be hard when our jobs take up so much time day-to-day. What are some of the best ways to continue professional progression? We dive into that topic and more on this episode.Professional Learning: Podcasts Webinars, Publications and Newsletters: Product Thinking, Product by Design Books Conferences Training Mentoring Other Links:Evans WoodshopInstagram

Links:Presentation Link: Google Slides

Choosing the right things to work on is often the hardest part in any role, especially product development. Whether it is strategic initiatives, product features, or backlog items, we have to ensure we're saying yes to the right things and saying no to the wrong things. In this episode we tackle a framework for making those hard decisions and how to incorporate the various prioritization methods (from MoSCoW to User Story Mapping) into your process. If you like this episode, you can find more information at https://productthinking.substack.com/p/strategic-prioritization

Product roadmaps can be an extraordinary tool, or an extraordinary pain. It all depends on how we create them and use them. In this episode, we tackle product roadmaps, what they are, what they aren't, and how to get the most out of your roadmap. We also sprinkle in some pumpkin spice, because we all love pumpkin spice.Notes: What a roadmap isn't What a roadmap is What is its purpose What are the principles in creating a roadmap What are the components of a roadmap Who should be involved Links:Product Roadmaps: Love, Hate (& Hate) articleTwitter thread

If you like Netflix, Audible, motorcycles, movies, or online shopping, we've got examples from all of the above and more. Join us for a thorough analysis of key usability principles and how many of the products you use incorporate them (or don't).Links from the episode: 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design Google slides from our show Slidesgo Templates

In this episode we have a great conversation about product strategy, where design fits in strategy, and how to involve your product team, including UX designers in the strategy and vision. Where does strategy fit? What are the major headaches for product managers? What difficulties are there in getting support for product strategy? How can we create the product vision, strategy and measure it to ensure success? We also tackle other important questions: Star Trek, Star Wars, or Battlestar Galactica? What is a Timberking 2000 and why Kyle needs one

Why don't teams have designers?What can you do if you don't have a designer? Get inspirations from wherever you can Find tools and libraries to leverage Utilize UI kits What if you have a little budget for contract work? There are some good options such as Upwork Understand and be upfront about your budget, timeline and scale Links from our discussion: Collect UI Dribble Adele UXPin Jakob Neilsen 10 Heuristics of UI Design Canva Presentation Templates

We cover an array of topics, including Jordan's background before design How he got into design How he moved into product design from graphic design How is background contributed to the move What he wished he knew before

What is inclusivity?How does it align with accessibility?Why is inclusivity important in product design and development?How can we begin to identify and overcome some of our own blind spots?References: Why does Siri sound white? Census Data

Very few of us take a straight-line path into product management, and Chris is no exception. He talks about how his background helped prepare him for a career in product management, and what he learned along the way to help him be successful.A few things Chris wishes he knew coming into product management: Product managers often make decisions without all the information. How can we better prepare for this? Not everyone understands the value of product management. How can we do better? Product management is incredibly fun. As much hard work as it is, there are few careers as rewarding. Listen for a ton of other great information on moving into product management, the origin of Doritos, hamburgers, and using tacos to gauge your purchasing habits. 

What is product discovery? It is the process of building great products It is about building the right product and ensuring we build the product right Why is product discovery important?We need to address risks in product developmentHow do we do product discovery?How does remote work impact product discovery?We need to think about communicationWhat are some examples?

What is design thinking? Empathizing Defining Ideating Prototyping Testing Implementing Why is design thinking important?"Design thinking gets us out of our normal way of doing business and opens the door to numerous possibilities"How can we implement design thinking?What are the most important aspects?Links and mentions:Design thinking framework (Nielson Norman Group) Sprint (book)Lightning Decision Jam

What is user research? A tool to understand needs A way to find out what you don't know What are types of research? Interviews Focus groups Field studies Usability tests Surveys Questionnaires many more... Why do research? To inform the design, the direction and gather insight "Be ready to be surprised" Tips Have a plan Do it often Doesn't have to be perfect Adopt the mindset of a scientist Have fun and get the reps Volunteer to be on the other side to understand what it's like Referenced in the show:User Research BasicsStop doing user research. Start having conversations.

How are we dealing with working from home currently?How has working remotely changed workflows for product managers?What are some tools and practices product teams are using to bridge the gaps?What are businesses doing to adapt now and in the future?Is this the new normal?

What is the ideal structure for product managers and product designers?What about scenarios when you can't have the ideal like when there are too few product managers or product designers?How should product managers and product designers combine forces?How can product designers better collaborate with product managers?How can product managers better collaborate with product designers? What are some keys to success?Shoutouts: The User Experience Team of One (book) Ermal Fraze, inventor of pop-top soda can