3 Ways Product-Led Orgs Can Support Their Talent’s Growth
With so many training, certification and continuing education courses available to product folks, I understand why I’m frequently asked which options offer the best value. It’s a lot to navigate.
If you’re a leader who finds themself with some remaining year-end budget, or in a position to carve out dollars for next year that can be invested in your talent, there are a ton of options out there.
Here’s how I simplified it for a recent client:
1. CSPO through a Scrum Alliance certified trainer
A Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification can help a new PO get the basics for the role as it relates to the Scrum team, and is an excellent foundation to build on for other nuances of the PO role in an organization.
IMHO, the certification itself matters less than having done the coursework, which is critical as we see more organizations layer more strategic responsibilities onto this traditionally execution-oriented role.
I happen to love Scrum Alliance as a resource for CSPO because they’ve already done the vetting of the trainer/training org for you. It’s a great one-stop shop for finding a quality offering, from which you can pair back based on your desired price points, scheduling needs, delivery mechanism, etc.
Typically, I recommend that all new POs take a CSPO within the first 3-6 months in the role, and that seasoned POs refresh every 3-5 years if they’re actively working on a scrum team, just to keep things sharp.
I sometimes also suggest that PMs take the course with their POs if either or both of them are new to the product discipline. It can serve as an amazing accelerator for the team, and to remind everyone who does what, and why. I’ve seen many PM/PO pairings come out of a CSPO course ready to hit the ground running because the shared experience gives them a common starting point.
2. Product discipline-specific training
When it comes to product management, I’m a huge proponent of discipline-specific training, but even a light online search will return more program options than is reasonable to consume. So, where to start?
For this level of development, I have a bias toward training that is pragmatic rather than dogmatic. Yes, the curriculum is important, but equally as important is a program with practitioner instructors and plenty of opportunities for real-world application.
Based on these markers of quality, my go-to has always been Mind the Product because they nail the pragmatism and real-life components in their training. I’ve long been a proponent of their Foundations course for new product managers (especially those moving from PO to PM, who sometimes need a little kick to let go of the old role and embrace the new).
I’m also really excited about the new Product Leader offering that’s meant for Product Directors or business leaders who are responsible for product teams. It’s more in depth and pushes students to think about the leadership competencies needed for leading in a product organization across the maturity spectrum.
3. University/Exec Ed Certifications
This may be an unpopular opinion (or maybe I’m just old and cranky), but I have yet to find a university-offered or executive education certification that 100% hits the mark.
I admit that I might be letting my bias toward applicability and pragmatism win out here, but I’m still searching for the golden goose that delivers ROI for what is often a hefty price tag. I’m seeing too many courses rely on “sage on the stage” lecturers and not enough practical application for students.
Think I’m wrong? DM me…. I’d love to know if there are some good, practical programs out there that are worth the price of admission!
In sum, there’s a wide variety of training organizations and resources to choose from – my rundown is by no means exhaustive – but this shortlist will certainly help save you time in considering the options. The most critical evaluations, in my opinion, are trust in the trainers and ensuring there’s the right blend of theory and practice in the curriculum. Anyone pitching you a “handy 27-step course to perfect product management skills” is selling something, but you probably don’t want to be the one buying it.
PS: I don’t have any financial relationships with any companies providing training, in case you were worried about getting an unbiased opinion.