Trishala Pillai

Discuss how you intend to work with each other (cadence/how decisions will be made etc.), document it and get each function to sign off on it so there is complete alignment. The more time you spend getting to know your cross-functional peers as people first and then innovators, the less likely they'll be to misunderstand you throughout the course of your project because there will inherently be points of contention, discussion and debate.

Be mindful of the growing trend where conferences engage influencers to endorse their events, mirroring how we've seen influencers promote consumer brands. Some industry influencers may promote events they're involved in; others may do so for social currency (which you can identify through tags/mentions/personal notes). Either way, It's crucial to distinguish between a promotional advertisement and a sincere endorsement of an industry event. Always do your research (especially when conference tickets have a hefty price tag!).

Don't get too caught up in the highs and lows of successes and failures (because there will be many of both!). Achievements can bring intense positive emotions like elation and thrill, while setbacks may trigger strong negative feelings such as anger, frustration, and disappointment. Instead, I focus on learning. Every action or outcome (positive or negative) provides valuable insights and lessons. These learnings evoke moderate emotions, fostering stability and leaving you in a productive state. By aligning all your actions and efforts with the objective of learning and making it your overarching context, you'll find it easier to navigate your emotions and handle stress.

Don't RELY on assumptions. START with them & refrain from revisiting them until after your thorough research. - Assess all your assumptions about the problem/area you're tackling. - Consider broader themes/use cases/tasks that your assumptions address and formulate unbiased "questions to explore" and hypotheses to test. - Collaborate with cross-functional peers for research if possible. They should challenge your perspectives, broaden your outlook & ensure an honest evaluation of your problem area. Note: During the research process, choose appropriate methods that support the breadth/depth of your exploration and align with your overarching goals. More research methods ≠ Better, effective research. Less can be more.

Consider structure & clarity in your communications. - Identify who needs to be kept informed. - What information is essential for each stakeholder? Understand their goals & potential questions. Ask if you're unsure! - Determine the appropriate level of detail for each stakeholder e.g. a high-level summary for leadership vs. granular details for your scrum team. - Define your communication's intended outcome, e.g. are you informing, seeking alignment, or making a decision? What do YOU need? - Choose the most suitable channel for each stakeholder. Don't choose multiple channels to say the same thing. - Establish a communication cadence based on stakeholders' needs. e.g. frequent updates or periodic summaries.

Go beyond regurgitating trends, technologies, and common practices circulating in the news. Don't just inform your interviewer of what you've READ; share what you THINK. - Have a unique point of view👏 - Share your point of view👏 - Consistently refine your point of view👏 There are many things you can do to form your point of view, including but not limited to gathering varied experiences/perspectives/context, seeking feedback, challenging yourself/others (get comfortable with having a contrarian point of view if the situation demands it), reflecting, thinking critically and connecting the dots.