by Prabhakar Gopalan
Tweet this: @PGopalan 5 Right Brain Workshops for Product Leaders http://wp.me/pXBON-2dX #prodmgmt
It is still the beginning of the year and you are probably working on your individual development plan, figuring out what good workshops are out there beyond the traditional product management and marketing training. Here are 5 workshops I can vouch for that will help you immensely in seeing things in a completely new light (I have attended each one of them over time and benefited a lot).
So here’s my list.
1) Drawing on the right side of the brain:
Can you draw? Is your answer “I can’t draw”. This class is for you if you have no drawing skills and want to approach drawing in an entirely new way. Drawing is a basic skill we are all born with. Somehow down the line, we forget it and this class will help you reconnect with your right brain. If you limit yourself to just learning how to draw in this class, you get little benefit. Expand your thinking and seek the possibilities. This workshop is for those left brain thinkers (the majority of product managers, marketers, MBAs) that want to connect with their right brain. Brian Bomeisler, son of the famous Betty Edwards teaches this class. Treat yourself to a rewarding vacation in NYC with this one.
2) Dan Roam’s Back of the Napkin:
A few years ago, I picked up a copy of Dan Roam’s book The Back of the Napkin. Since then Dan has published another book Unfolding the Napkin, which has his codex of solving problems with pictures. He runs a 2 day workshop now based on his books and I attended his workshop last year. Dan’s passion about solving problems with pictures is infectious. It spreads fast and is popular around the world. If you can’t attend this, at least pick up one of his books.
3) Slide:ology from Duarte Design:
Let’s admit it. We hate Death by PowerPoint. Yet, whether you like PowerPoint or not, your workplace demands it and you need to figure out how to make a good presentation. Nancy Duarte is a pioneer in the field of visual story telling with PowerPoint. Her clients range from celebrities to innovative startups to keynote speakers. Nancy has authored two books on the subject – Slide:ology and most recently Resonate. This is a simple yet extremely effective 1-day workshop that grounds you to making great PowerPoint presentations. If you can’t make it to the workshop, try the books.
4) Edward Tufte’s Presenting Data and Information:
Edward Tufte is one of the most famous anti-PowerPoint advocates you’ll come across. At least in terms of the sheer quantity of material anyone has published. If 3) above wasn’t up to your palette, try 4). For a great leader, as Roger Martin tells, it is important to carry completely opposing ideas in our mind and entertain the constant tension to get to clarity and decision. Tufte is a proponent of the super graphic on an A3 (11×17) size paper combined with a well written technical report as a replacement for PowerPoint decks. You’ll get a nice self contained box of Tufte’s books in hardbound editions at this seminar. Definitely get familiar with his work before going to this one.
5) The Grove’s Graphic Facilitation
David Sibbet’s work in information graphics and design for facilitating team processes, strategy and communication is something every product leader should be familiar with. His recent book Visual Meetings is an eye opener to conduct meetings and team processes collaboratively. The Grove has been around for 35 years and is the thought leader in visual graphics and facilitation. Attend his workshops, or read his books, or download the templates from The Grove to improve your product process. With the iPad/tablets soon to become the de facto device for productivity in the office, visual graphic facilitation is going to play a big role in how we conduct business.
When I talked to David and asked him why he wasn’t expanding his business aggressively in many areas, since there is so much demand for the subject, he gave wise counsel, “We like to grow organically. I can compete and defend or share and lead. I prefer to share and lead.”
If you know of any other workshops for product managers that you’d like to share with our readers, please let us know. Thanks.
– Prabhakar
Tweet this: @PGopalan 5 Right Brain Workshops for Product Leaders http://wp.me/pXBON-2dX #prodmgmt