Narrative Approach to Product Management

The first narratives that I can recall were from my mom. I remember a six-year-old self in the kitchen with a cup of tea and an open mouth, listening to stories of my mother’s youth. Her stories were about growing up in a Belarusian village, meeting my father, falling in love, and living through the fall of the Soviet Union. So many years passed, but I will never forget them. The power of a good narrative is that it connects humans on the deepest level, routed in shared values. It is the most potent type of communication.

I grew up to become an educator. I spent the last nine years teaching people Agile and Scrum. And I noticed that the moments that I got the most attention in my classrooms were moments when I shared stories. I have a collection, and I yield them to deliver learning objectives, communicate intent, resolve conflicts, and encourage change. Today, I want to share this craft with you!

Our industry has been using the narrative approach for decades – user stories, customer journeys, story maps, and vision statements are all types of narratives. Also, I bet you had at least one team where you struggled to motivate people to do the work and connect with the end goal. Such groups lacked coherence and failed to deliver on outcomes. Everyone could not wait to leave the team. While a good story unites, a bad one can separate and detach.

Join me for an hour-long interactive workshop to learn the craft of telling a good story and use it in your leadership practice. Be the leader who inspires others to change this world!