How do you manage changes in product strategy or direction and ensure that operational processes remain adaptable?

Change is inevitable. In product operations, designing adaptable processes to navigate it is key. How? This three-pronged approach minimizes the pain of pivoting and keeps us agile:

• Explicit Decision Points: Each process stage should culminate in a clear decision point. Think research informing a "pain to solve" choice, with the freedom to even disinvest based on findings. We embrace this at Asana. Our PMs regularly choose to "persevere, pivot, or quit" at key milestones, and each path is celebrated. Walking away can be as valuable as delivery.

• Shared Responsibility: Foster a culture of questioning. Encourage team members to voice concerns and actively ask, "Are we on the right track?" Transparency is crucial. Be open about decisions, rationale, and considered options. Share progress updates, good or bad, to build trust and engagement.

• Celebrating Change: Redefine success. It's not just about what we build, but also what we don't. In a resource-constrained world, making judicious choices matters. When we celebrate decisions to walk away from sunk costs or pivot, we remove the stigma of change and empower teams to embrace it as a driver of progress.