"Creating an Inclusive and Effective Product Strategy Meeting"

"Creating an Inclusive and Effective Product Strategy Meeting"

In today's digital world, accessibility and inclusivity should be at the forefront of our minds when designing products and conducting meetings. Two seemingly unrelated topics, WCAG principles and quarterly product strategy meetings, actually share a common thread - the need for effective communication and consideration of diverse perspectives.

The WCAG principle of Operable emphasizes the importance of offering different ways for people with disabilities to navigate and interact with content. This principle can be applied to our product strategy meetings by ensuring that every participant can fully engage and contribute. Guideline 2.1 Keyboard Accessible reminds us that all sections and elements should be reachable using the keyboard, avoiding any "Keyboard Traps" that hinder navigation. This principle encourages us to design our meeting materials and platforms with accessibility in mind, allowing everyone to participate regardless of their physical abilities.

Another relevant WCAG guideline is 1.4.13: Content on Hover or Focus. This guideline emphasizes the need for visually obvious indicators of the currently selected element. In the context of a product strategy meeting, this could mean clearly highlighting the topic or section being discussed, making it easier for participants to follow along and contribute to the conversation.

Guideline 2.3 Seizures and Physical Reactions reminds us to be mindful of animations and their potential impact on individuals with sensitivities or disabilities. Applying this principle to our meetings, we should ensure that any visual elements or presentations do not contain flashing or distracting content that could be overwhelming or triggering for some participants.

Navigability, as outlined in Guideline 2.4, is crucial for both websites and meetings. Participants should be able to easily navigate through the agenda, content, and discussions, ensuring that they can find the information they need and understand where they are in the meeting flow. Clear structure and organization are key to creating a productive and inclusive environment.

Lastly, Guideline 2.5 Input Modalities encourages us to provide alternatives beyond the keyboard for navigating and interacting with content. In the context of a product strategy meeting, this could mean incorporating touch gestures or other input methods for participants who may have different accessibility needs. The "Touch Gesture Reference Guide" developed by Craig Villamor, Dan Willis, and Luke Wroblewski can serve as a helpful resource in understanding and implementing these alternative input modalities.

Now, let's shift our focus to the quarterly product strategy meeting itself. Netflix, known for its innovative approach, has developed a highly effective and inclusive meeting structure. Their goal is to keep strategy "front and center" while accelerating both results and learning. The key to achieving this is through highly aligned and loosely coupled teams.

Netflix's quarterly product strategy meeting serves as a mechanism for aligning teams and enabling them to understand the overall product strategy and their individual contributions to the company's success. This meeting structure promotes a culture of autonomy and trust, allowing teams to make decisions without excessive control or micromanagement. The emphasis is on providing context through strategy rather than imposing rigid rules or processes.

In terms of the meeting format, Netflix suggests using slides as a conversation starter but avoiding the pitfall of "death by PowerPoint." The goal is to deliver a crisp articulation of the strategy along with test results that inspire debate and discussion. The meeting should include an articulation of the high-level strategy by the head of the product team, followed by presentations from each product leader representing different swimlanes. This structure allows for focused discussions and ensures that all relevant insights are shared.

To continuously improve the effectiveness of these meetings, Netflix encourages participants to complete a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey. This feedback mechanism helps identify areas of improvement and ensures that each subsequent meeting is better than the last. Using NPS for this purpose is an interesting and valuable approach, as it provides quantitative data on the meeting's impact and allows for targeted improvements.

Based on these insights, here are three actionable pieces of advice for creating an inclusive and effective product strategy meeting:

1. Prioritize accessibility: Ensure that all meeting materials and platforms are designed with accessibility in mind, allowing participants with diverse abilities to fully engage and contribute.

2. Foster alignment and autonomy: Create a meeting structure that promotes alignment with the overall strategy while enabling teams to make decisions autonomously. Provide context rather than imposing strict rules or processes.

3. Embrace feedback and continuous improvement: Implement mechanisms for gathering feedback, such as NPS surveys, to identify areas for improvement and make each meeting better than the last.

In conclusion, by incorporating the principles of WCAG into our product strategy meetings, we can create an inclusive and effective environment where all participants can contribute their unique perspectives. Netflix's approach to quarterly product strategy meetings serves as a valuable example of how to keep strategy at the forefront while fostering alignment and autonomy. By prioritizing accessibility, embracing feedback, and continuously improving our meeting processes, we can accelerate both results and learning, ultimately leading to better products and outcomes.