{"id":23644,"date":"2025-02-24T09:03:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T09:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frost.com\/events\/innovation\/?p=23644"},"modified":"2025-02-24T09:10:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T09:10:45","slug":"the-secret-sauce-of-high-performing-product-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frost.com\/events\/innovation\/the-secret-sauce-of-high-performing-product-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secret Sauce of High Performing Product Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

The phrase “digital transformation” is often used when large corporations embark on technology-driven change. The first time I heard these words together I received a letter from HR informing me that I was being moved to a new team at Royal Caribbean – Excalibur<\/em>. Our mission, besides pulling the sword from the stone, was to digitize the entire guest and crew experience. Today, the phrase is much more commonplace, but it still makes people uncomfortable. Three-plus years into my tenure at McDonald\u2019s, we are on a product-led journey – or dare I say digital transformation – with a mission to deliver a one-in-a-billion experience to every single customer.<\/p>\n

I joined McDonald\u2019s \u2013 one of the world\u2019s iconic brands, if not the world\u2019s most iconic brand \u2013 when it was starting to pivot. Simply put, a hamburger company aiming to become a tech company led by product teams. Historically, we were focused on the solution. It wasn\u2019t unusual to hear, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be cool if the app did …\u201d followed by, \u201cYea, let\u2019s build that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, everything changed. We started embracing the mindset to put the customer and crew at the heart of everything every team does. We are focused on problems to solve.<\/p>\n

This shift has shaped my current role, where I oversee the owned delivery experience – placing an order directly in the McDonald\u2019s app. We are a team focused on creating easy, frictionless, and memorable ordering experiences. We\u2019re iterating towards a connected ecosystem that enables customers to order and engage how and when they want. We believe in offering more choice and more control.<\/p>\n

My team and I are solving hard problems, identifying what will bring the most value to our customers, crew, and business (although not necessarily in that order). There is relentless prioritization with multiple stakeholders. I want us to be THE <\/em>best in class and THE <\/em>easiest way to order McDonald\u2019s.<\/p>\n

So, the question I\u2019m often asked is, what\u2019s the secret ingredient that makes a high-performing product team? Well, it\u2019s not just one ingredient \u2013 it\u2019s all about the secret sauce. And, at McDonald\u2019s, it\u2019s about how we bring that sauce together.<\/p>\n

Throughout my career, I\u2019ve taken on many new roles. In retrospect, I\u2019m often moved by leadership when someone needs to drive complex projects or help teams execute.<\/p>\n

Many of the teams I’ve worked with were newly formed. As a leader, I\u2019m helping to guide the team through the stages of group development – a theory made famous by Tuckman – from storming to high performing.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a culture to build, including psychological safety and trust, especially in the excitement (or chaos and uncertainty) of a transformation that disrupts an organization. Changing the way people, teams, and departments think is hard. There\u2019s a famous slide from a mentor I reference all the time: we (the product teams) think we\u2019re scaling Mt. Everest in a t-shirt and flip-flops, the organization thinks we\u2019re a rambunctious bull set loose in the antique shop.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found that great product teams \u2013 consciously, or subconsciously, are generally oriented around common guiding principles. These are, in my opinion, the secret sauce. They have been adapted over time and, like any product, are iterative – meant to evolve. They come from a variety of sources… books, mentors, lengthy discussions, riveting debates. Some are shamelessly stolen. Behind each is often a good, or dare I say great story or two but, that\u2019s another article.<\/p>\n

Jared\u2019s secret sauce to high performing product teams<\/strong><\/p>\n