S1E6 VIDEO Melissa Appel on the Magical Powers of Alignment

I quiz Melissa Appel, the co-author of 'Aligned,' on the intricacies of corporate misalignment and its impact on developing and launching successful digital products. We discuss the importance of stakeholder alignment, how to tackle internal politics, and various strategies to address misalignments effectively. Melissa shares insights from her work as a coach for product leaders and her extensive experience in product management. We also delve into practical tools like alignment personas and stakeholder canvases, and offer advice for those looking to make impactful changes within their organizations.

 

02:06 Meet Melissa Appel!

03:18 Meeting Bruce & Writing Aligned

06:04 "Us Vs. Them" Mentality

07:38 Mining for conflict (even when you have clear goals)

09:27 Seniority means becoming a stakeholder manager

10:53 Underpants Story: A 'delivery' problem was actually a 'culture' problem.

16:06 Melissa's two-pronged approach: quick fixes plus longer-term culture shifts

19:35 Find champions by figuring out individuals' goals

20:40 The bad apples & two kinds of assholes

25:19 Glossaries: the unsung heroes of alignment

27:36 Being brave enough to say "let me get this straight..."

30:58 How to tweak the language you use to get results

33:14 How Alignment Personas fit with Aligned the Book

39:42 Get Melissas & Bruce's Free Stakeholder Canvas

45:07 Politics vs Alignment vs Agreement vs Acceptance

49:02 How Melissa builds roadmaps

50:50 Melissa's Pre-Quit Checklist For Changing Jobs