Reflection assignment for Design Thinking

Max Sanchez

19 April 2020

Title: “Using Learning Launch techniques to orient myself in my first  job as Product Manager”

Elements:

1. Challenge: Describe your challenge, including all relevant information.

Recently I started my first job a Product Manager and I was not sure  how to priorities the task at hand. I hoped that the boss would be a good  mentor but it turns out he was not. He mostly kept his office door closed in  my first month on the job and expected me to fend for myself in the new  organization and become acclimated. I needed to find out who the key  stakeholders are, and who will be willing to lead me through the murky  waters of orienting myself in this job!

2.  Selection: In your own words, briefly describe the tool you  selected (e.g., what it is and why you selected it for your challenge --  including any appropriate video lecture references).

I decided to utilize Learning Launch tool to drive my introduction to  the job and meet the players and co-workers who could help me understand  what at the highest priorities. The Storytelling Tool was outlined in week 4 of  the course with Video #4.  One of the aspects of Learning Launch was  to help the audience understand how the current job at hand is to help  me get acclimated to this new role. I made lists of each key  stakeholder in each department I would be required to get things  accomplished.

3. Application: Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your  challenge (e.g., what you did and how the tool was applied effectively or  ineffectively).

With my list of stakeholders names and job titles in my notebook, I  enthusiastically introduced myself to every new colleague I would  meet in meetings, in the lunch room and even in the restrooms. I  used the process of telling my new co-workers about myself and my  background during stand up meetings. I also used this exchange as an

Reflection assignment for Design Thinking

Max Sanchez

19 April 2020

opportunity to learn more about each of these folks, trying to establish trust  and reveal my need to get information from each of the stakeholders. Some  of the coworkers were interested to learn more and invited me for coffee or  informal tours of other parts of the company to meet other key stakeholders.  Some of my new coworkers were seeing that I was struggling with the  various business systems that the company uses. There was also lots of  challenges understanding the theoretical aspects of the company’s product  line. A select few co-workers would graciously take extra time after 5pm  when the workday is typically finished. They would re-assure me that it was  not a problem to take the extra time to explain things and describe various  roles of each of my key stakeholders.

4. Insight: Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected  to your challenge (e.g., how an insight affected your thinking about the  challenge and about design thinking more broadly).

My stakeholders began to gradually review information they already had  discussed a few weeks earlier to make sure I was seeing the bigger picture  and getting a good understanding of various workflows I am responsible to  keep up with going forward. They would invite me to mini training sessions  to discuss key elements of the workflow and I could see I had developed a  sense of trust and free collaboration of information exchange with my new  coworkers. One of them even expressed empathy for me due to my situation  and again reassured me whenever I need assistance do not hesitiate to ask  them any questions.

5. Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the  same tool you selected or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.

The approach I decided to try seems to work! My team members reached out to me  regularly to check my progress! They were interested to see me succeed in this  new role and professionally were allowing me to understand key concepts and  requirements without appearing anxious. I will use this approach again when it is  time to initiate my next new project at this company.

