Web Directions Product 2019

Session Details

Positive Psychology and Leadership in product management

Liz Blink Product Designer & Co-Founder of Product Anonymous

“It takes 7 seconds for the mood of a leader to infect the team” Michelle McQuaid, MAPP

Positive psychology is about the concept of wellbeing of the mind, not dissimilar to the idea of training your body to be fit and healthy and avoid injury and improve long-term health by working on the areas of wellbeing that improve resilience personally and in the workplace. The science of mood contagion is a key reason to focus on discussing this concept with leaders and influencers in organisations.

Since every product manager at any level in an organisation is a leader, positive psychology is an important concept for PMs to understand in order to enable them to build high-performing teams & actively contribute to a positive culture at their organisation.

The broader reasons for understanding the benefits of positive psychology at an exec level is that an organisation that invests in staff wellbeing drive increases to company:

• profitability
• productivity
• quality
• customer satisfaction
• employee retention (Cameron, Bright, Caza, 2004)

Thus, while the entire profession and skills of a product manager are focused on the contribution to these same metrics by making their product successful and thereby improving company objectives, I would like to add the skill of building a positive culture to their toolbox in order to compound their success.

Liz Blink

An ex-academic turned product nerd who asks why at every opportunity. This drives me to keep the needs of the customer in focus for all that we do and for all that I ask others to do. I have fallen in love with product management because it challenges the individual in the role and the company when they choose the right individual. It is neither a place for complacency or acceptance. It is a place for dreaming the dream and understanding where the day-to-day can take you... and then it is rising above and asking for the dream anyway.

So passionate about product mgmt stuff I am a co-founder of the community Product Anonymous: where Melbourne-based product manager folk get together & discuss product management topics & meet others in the industry or related fields (like UX).

I have been recognised as a top community builder in the 2017 & 2018 list of Leading Women in Product in Australia & New Zealand.

Don't miss your chance to see Liz Blink and many other inspiring speakers at Product 19.

Tickets start at $1195, for two in-depth days with the world's leading product professionals.

Register Now

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