It's a male ritual in my neighborhood. I spent the Christmas Holidays putting up and taking down lights. Between this and BBQ, I keep looking for signs of equal rights. No such luck yet. During the Holidays I was also asked to sit on an advisory board for the local High School District. This group of folks wanted to address a problematic trend that has been increasing over the last five years. It turns out teenage kids lack commitment; surprised? I wonder sometimes what we expect.

Would you enjoy reviewing 5 years of statistical data over Christmas? How about sitting through three presentations of additional studies? Lop on top of that 4 more hours of rambling about:

Adolescent physiology,
Abnormal behavior
Motivational theory,
Relationship building
The laws of effective communication,
Effective teams
Parenting
Management theory ...

I tell you, I forgot where I was. The meeting lost its high school flavor. We could have been addressing issues from any group. It could have been a meeting for the Alliance of Christmas Light Decorators, the Association of Pit BBQ Enthusiasts, or even the Product Development & Management Association.

The Issue
Some teenagers embrace change and the opportunities they offer. These young people have clear aspirations for their future. They are strongly motivated, full of energy, and are optimistic. They have created realistic plans to accomplish their ambitions. However, many of their peers feel as though they're stalled. They hesitate to make the role commitments of parent, worker, spouse, or citizen. Adult life is put off till later. Have you ever met a 23 year old teenager?

All sorts of people show this type of hesitation.

Even some Product Managers hesitate when they should be motivated, full of energy, and optimistic.

I used to ask myself, "What's in portfolio management that scares so many good product mangers?" Why is she resisting strategic planning? What's scary about roadmap alignments? Shouldn't they be more excited about ROI analysis? It goes on and on. I suspect Product Managers and Teenagers aren't the only ones who hesitate looking into the future.

Just like my Holiday experience with the Teenager issue, this lack of commitment could come from not owning a serious purpose. A purpose can give meaning and dedication to a teenager. It can bring success and internal peace to a Product Manager. In my interviews and surveys, only about one in five Product Managers are able to express a clear vision of what their ideal activities would include today. Even fewer are able to define their desired activities in the future.

If you want to see a deer in your head lights,
ask a Product Manager what they want to accomplish as a Product Manager; and why.

The Solution:
The solution for the high school advisory board seemed to be helping teenagers find a path to purpose. Short-term desires come and go. A young person may desire a good grade on a test. They may desire a date to the prom. I've seen them trade hundreds of dollars worth of books for a cutting-edge electronic games. Some dream about a staring slot on the basketball team. Other teens may even think about admission to a prestigious college. But more times than not these are only desires. These desires reflect immediate aims that may or may not have longer-term significance.

The desires of Product Managers are driven to change at an hourly rate. A purpose, by contrast, is an end in itself. It's in the nature of purposes to endure at least long enough that a serious commitment is made. At least some progress toward that aim must be achieved. Change in purpose happens over years, not months and days. A purpose can organize an entire life. It imparts not only meaning but also inspiration and motivation for ongoing learning and achievement.

I suspect this same solution has relevancy in Product Management as well. Product Managers need to know what they really want. They need a purpose. The Product Management Community knows the value of purpose. They also know how Product Mangers can develop a sense of purpose. Meaningful steps toward steering the activities within the innovation value chain can be taken by using a sense of purpose. Product Management must effectively keep the path straight. The good news is that those who wish to help Product Mangers find positive purposes can play a constructive - perhaps decisive - role in keeping that path unobstructed."