It's a marathon, not a sprint

This is a final thought on the 4 part series: Growing eCommerce revenue $0 to $200MM at TripAdvisor

One more thing- It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

I think of grit as the application of effort in overcoming adversity over a long period of time. Anytime a team is up against the odds or tasked with conceiving delivering previously unknown solutions to complex business problems, it will take time, effort, and grit. As a product lead, you’re driving the bus, and it’s vital to understand the vehicle needs care and maintenance in order to continue operating at optimal levels of performance throughout periods of acceleration, changing direction, etc.

There was a time when, as a product leader, I focused exclusively on the business results and as a consequence held little to no efforts to build culture within the team, which led to disastrous consequences in terms of my ability to foster a happy, healthy team. Every ounce of energy and time was spent building, launching, and evaluating test ideas - averaging 15 per week. The team was pegged to the red. As weeks turned to months to quarters, the pressure valve broke and 4/5ths of the team walked out of the company in rapid succession. At a critical early stage in the product’s development, I was left with no team, no ability to learn and scale the product, and nobody to blame but myself. 

From there on, I maintained a philosophy of leading through and with people, and I’d like to share three things that helped the team become more effective, and in the end more happy and satisfied with their work than their peers in the company.

Recruit for flexibility, adaptability and a growth mindset. Different stages of the marathon require different team approaches. Some of these can be planned for, but most can not. If the product journey you are going on involves rapid test-driven optimization that pivots product development based on data that shows what’s working and what’s not, it’s ideal to have the people operating in this environment share a similar viewpoint about themselves and their career. Conversely, if you’re leading a team with consistency is key (ie. security), a team that is predictable and risk-averse is a more natural fit. 

Vulnerability is a strength. I’ve already talked a little about “getting it right” vs. “being right,” and the importance of ensuring all team member’s points of view are heard and understood. Sometimes a team can still be stuck, despite all the data, ideation, and effort. Be objective and honest with yourself that the current plan is not driving toward the results we want helps reinforce trust from within the team. it  can also direct you to to solicit help and new perspectives from other teams or people within or without the organization. A situation like this often is caused by a team being too close to the forest to see the trees. Having fresh eyes view the situation breathes new life into a team’s activities in the same way that  fresh legs do in a competitive relay race. 

After a prolonged sprint, rest. The business needs results and sometimes that means hard work, long days and nights, and plenty of stress. Plan for “self-healing” activities that get your house in order, provide opportunities to recharge,  and keep ahead of tech debt. When a particularly meaningful accomplishment has been reached - take time to get out of the office to let off steam and celebrate. If nothing notable comes to mind - make one up. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

Foster team traditions and reinforce them with artifacts.  Over time, individual teams will develop their own language, customs, and foibles. This form of individual expression as a team is a welcome sign that the team has come together in a healthy, sustainable way that is rooted in trust, camaraderie, and a sense of shared purpose. As a leader, it’s a great idea to throw gas on this fire with traditions and artifacts that reinforce this team culture. Little things can matter a lot: team mascots, small budget to decorate the team space, being proud to wear the team swag,  and sharing light hearted moments throughout the day. Taken individually, these little things aren’t super important. Collectively, they help keep us energized to come to work each day for ourselves and each other. Anyone who knows how to design a great game will tell you that the accumulation of badges and trophies are a great way to incent behaviors- provided those game mechanics reflect real accomplishments and meaningfully important memories. Resist the urge to determine team culture via a tops down approach or it will seem hollow and not take hold. Over time, as a team goes through the fire together, team culture will grow up around you. Learn to recognize and protect it.