Product Provocateur: Five Reasons to Have an External Voice at the Table
Developing new products requires an injection of novel ideas or alternative perspectives – and sometimes the best new ideas come from an outside source.
“Provocateur” is defined as “one who incites or stimulates another into action” and while it can have a negative connotation when describing an agitator or someone who makes trouble, in the case of new product development an external provocateur or product provocateur can be a positive addition to the team.
The goal of a product provocateur is not to tell an existing team how to do their jobs but to supplement their existing skillsets; reduce internal bias or friction; and be a source of new ideas – in other words be an accelerant.
Based on my experience helping companies developing new products using my Product Opportunity Mapping framework, I have identified five reasons why you may want to have an “external product provocateur” at the table.
1. New Ideas and Perspective
Internal product development teams often fall victim to “group think” and without an external stimulant, they may become stale. An external perspective is critical as it can shape new ways of thinking and generate fresh ideas – both of which are very important when developing new products.
Any time I’ve been in a meeting when an outsider is present, perspectives inevitably shift and more fresh ideas can be created. Even a small idea can trigger something new and different.
2. Reduced Bias
Within a company setting, I define “bias” as the fixed mindset or blinders people have on when doing the same thing day after day. They either purposely or inadvertently become resistant to change or less receptive to new and different ideas.
Often that bias is caused by a senior leader who – when described as an animal – is a “HiPPO”. This stands for the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion to whom we are naturally deferential as they sign the cheques and can make or break an employee’s career. For the most part, they are the boss for a reason (they are good at what they do) but I have personally witnessed hippos coming up with obviously questionable product ideas. Those around the table – because it’s the boss – are nodding their heads in thoughtful agreement but I can also tell that their inside voices are screaming the opposite.
Another form of bias is stasis. I’m not sure how to describe that in the form of an animal (a sloth perhaps?) but it’s the day-in-day-out rut we fall into when being too comfortable in our roles. I think this makes people resistant to change which in turn is a major barrier to doing something truly novel and different.
These are a few of many examples of bias and an external provocateur can play a key role to call them out or purposely provoke change when stasis kicks in.
3. Access to Focused Expertise and Specific Skillsets
Perhaps the most obvious reason to have an external voice or provocateur as part of a new product development team is the opportunity to bring in skillsets or focused expertise that does not already exist internally. Every team will have a weakness in terms of its experience or knowledge-base and hiring to fill that gap is not always an option or realistic with finite resources.
No team can cover all the bases when developing new products and the skill coverage problem is further exasperated when trying to develop products for new and unfamiliar markets. New markets mean accessing new types of domain expertise and developing a deeper understanding of the “voice of a (new) customer” – each of which requires new perspectives.
4. Facilitation
I get hired to help companies spin out new products based on the Product Opportunity Mapping framework that I have created from 30 plus years of operating experience. After completing a session, I always send a survey to participants to ask what went well and what could have been improved. Consistently, the most common positive response is the value of external facilitation. I personally get very frustrated when a meeting is unorganized, starts to meander or goes over time so I really focus on a running smooth and productive meeting with a tight agenda (in fact I recently presented at a client’s strategy retreat and received a standing ovation. I’d like to think it was for the content but in reality it was because I was the only person all day who ended their session on time!).
Strong meeting facilitation is a skill and for me, my experience running teams and projects; being a board director and chair; and taking additional training has served me and my clients well. It is a skill that you can learn and it’s critical for the product development process. Product development is a team sport and for better or for worse, meetings are a mandatory component of it – and when run well by an external facilitator, he or she can be worth their weight in gold.
Another consistent – and positive - survey response relates to the importance of having a “frank discussion” or giving/receiving “blunt and honest feedback” (actual quotes from my surveys). Given the uniqueness of internal cultures and politics, it’s not always possible to have frank and honest conversations. At the same time, we all know how powerful they can be when they happen. An external provocateur – who is also a good facilitator - can be a powerful force to break an impasse, bring a team back to reality or to add a higher level of accountability.
5. Variable Cost
Finally, the provocateur role doesn’t have to be a permanent employee (that is, a fixed cost) - nor should they be.
Inevitably, a voice from the outside – who is then hired full-time – will eventually be assimilated and lose their external perspective.
With today’s gig economy, you can bring in high quality talent at a reasonable short-term cost. Even better, now that everyone is comfortable and equipped for Zoom-like communications, this type of talent is available from all parts of the globe. For me, I’m currently working with a customer in Taiwan and mentoring a startup based in Italy and, aside from managing time zones, it works.
To Sum Up…
The external provocateur role is valuable as it brings honesty, perspective and accountability to the new product development process. While at times a provocateur could be perceived as a threat to an insider, I believe that can be a good thing.
What do you think?