Imagine walking into a room filled with seasoned professionals in a large media organization—a company with a legacy of success in traditional media but one that now finds itself struggling to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the digital landscape. That was the challenge I faced as a solo consultant. My mission? To guide this organization from an entrenched project-based mindset to a forward-thinking, customer-centric product approach. This wasn’t just about tweaking processes; it was about changing the way people thought and behaved on a fundamental level.
The Call for Change
The media industry is no stranger to disruption. Streaming platforms, social media, and changing consumer habits were eating away at this organization’s market share. They had brilliant ideas and talented teams, but they were bogged down by an outdated approach—one that focused on short-term project completion rather than long-term customer engagement and product evolution.Their typical projects ran on rigid timelines, with success measured by whether deadlines were met, not by the value delivered to customers. This approach often led to a disconnect between what the teams were building and what the customers actually needed. They knew they had to change, but they didn’t know how. That’s when I got the call.
Building Trust, One Conversation at a Time
When I arrived, I didn’t come with a pre-packaged solution. Instead, I began with something simple but powerful: listening. I set up a series of one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders across the organization—from the C-suite to product managers, engineers, marketing teams, and even customer service representatives.In these conversations, I asked them about their pain points. For instance, I learned that the product teams felt stifled by the rigid project timelines, which didn’t allow them to iterate based on customer feedback. Engineers expressed frustration over being handed specs with little context on why certain features were prioritized. Meanwhile, executives were concerned about how these delays were impacting their ability to compete in a fast-changing market.Through these conversations, I not only gathered critical insights but also started to build the trust needed to drive change. People began to see that I wasn’t there to enforce a top-down overhaul but to help them address the very issues that were causing them frustration.
The Power of Small Wins: An Example in Action
To demonstrate the value of a product-centric approach, I started with a small pilot project. I chose a team that was responsible for a mobile app catering to the organization’s younger audience—a critical demographic that the company had been struggling to engage.This team was tasked with delivering a new feature within a tight three-month deadline. Traditionally, they would have rushed through development, crammed in as much functionality as possible, and released the feature on the deadline, regardless of whether it was fully polished or aligned with user needs.Instead, I guided them through a lean, iterative process. We began by mapping out the customer journey—understanding what the target users actually wanted from the app. This led to a simple but effective change in scope. Instead of adding multiple new features, the team focused on perfecting one key function: a personalized content feed based on user preferences.We then implemented a series of rapid prototypes and beta tests, releasing early versions of the feature to a small group of users and gathering feedback. This approach allowed the team to make data-driven decisions, iterating on the design and functionality based on real user input.The results were undeniable. Not only did the feature launch on time, but it also saw a significant increase in user engagement—up 30% in the first two weeks. The team, which had initially been skeptical of this new approach, was now convinced of its merits. This small victory became a powerful story that spread throughout the organization.
Shifting the Mindset at Scale:From Projects to Products
Scaling these changes required more than just showcasing success stories; it needed a deliberate strategy to shift the organizational mindset. I worked closely with the leadership team to develop a series of workshops and training sessions tailored to different departments.For example, I led a workshop for project managers that focused on redefining their roles as product managers. This wasn’t just a title change; it was a shift in how they approached their work. We discussed how they could move from managing tasks and timelines to owning the product vision, aligning their teams around customer outcomes, and iterating continuously.I also introduced cross-functional product teams. Previously, departments like marketing, development, and customer support operated in silos, each with their own objectives and timelines. I helped them form integrated teams where everyone worked together towards a shared product goal.One of the most significant changes came from the finance department. Historically, they were the gatekeepers of budget approvals, often focusing on controlling costs for individual projects. But by shifting their perspective, they started to see the value of investing in products over time, even if that meant initial costs were higher. This led to a more flexible budgeting process that allowed teams to pivot based on customer feedback rather than sticking to a predetermined plan.
The Ripple Effect:Cultural Transformation
As the mindset began to change, so did behaviors across the organization. Teams that had previously been resistant to change started adopting the new approach. For instance, the marketing department began to align their campaigns more closely with the product development cycle, allowing them to craft messaging that resonated better with users and supported the overall product strategy.A particularly memorable moment was when a senior engineer who had been with the company for over 15 years shared his experience during an all-hands meeting. He talked about how he initially resisted the new approach, feeling that it was just the latest in a long line of corporate fads. But after seeing how the customer-centric model allowed him to directly impact user satisfaction, he became one of its biggest advocates.This shift wasn’t just happening at the team level. Executives started to change how they measured success. Instead of focusing solely on meeting project deadlines, they began to look at metrics like customer retention, user engagement, and product lifetime value. This shift in focus trickled down, encouraging teams to prioritize long-term value creation over short-term wins.
The Ongoing Journey: Empowering Continuous Improvement
My goal was never to make myself indispensable. Instead, I aimed to empower the organization to continue its transformation long after my work was done. To do this, I worked closely with internal leaders to establish a framework for continuous improvement.We created a “Product Council” consisting of key stakeholders from different departments. This council became a forum for discussing ongoing product strategies, sharing lessons learned, and ensuring that the customer-centric mindset remained at the forefront of decision-making.Additionally, I introduced a system for continuous feedback loops. Teams were encouraged to regularly gather and act on customer feedback, and more importantly, to share their insights across the organization. This not only kept everyone aligned with the customers’ needs but also fostered a culture of learning and adaptability.Looking back, it’s clear that the changes we made weren’t just about implementing new processes; they were about transforming the very way people thought about their work. The organization, once bogged down by rigid project timelines and siloed thinking, became a nimble, customer-focused enterprise capable of thriving in the digital age.In the end, the most rewarding part of this journey was seeing how these changes improved not just business outcomes, but the day-to-day lives of the people who worked there. Teams were more engaged, more motivated, and more connected to their customers. The organization was no longer just surviving; it was thriving, and more importantly, it was set up to continue thriving long after I was gone. This, to me, is the true essence of transformation: enabling people to create and sustain meaningful change from within.
