While a strong product vision is essential, it’s equally important to involve key stakeholders in its creation.

Co-creating the vision fosters buy-in, alignment, and a shared sense of ownership.

Benefits of Co-Creation:

• Diverse Perspectives: Involving diverse stakeholders, such as customers, employees, and partners, can lead to more innovative and creative ideas.
• Increased Buy-in: When people feel involved in the decision-making process, they are more likely to support the product vision.
• Reduced Risk: By considering the input of various stakeholders, you can identify potential risks and challenges early on.

How to Co-Create a Product Vision:

1. Identify Key Stakeholders: Determine who should be involved in the co-creation process.
2. Set the Stage: Clearly communicate the purpose of the co-creation session and the desired outcomes.
3. Facilitate Brainstorming: Use techniques like mind mapping or brainstorming to generate ideas.
4. Prioritize Ideas: Use a voting or scoring system to prioritize the most promising ideas.
5. Refine the Vision: Refine the vision statement based on the collective feedback.
6. Communicate and Iterate: Share the vision with the broader team and gather feedback for further refinement.

Remember, a co-created product vision is more likely to be successful because it reflects the needs and aspirations of a wider group of people. From my experience earlier this year, this was truly the best way to get skeptics onboard.

Would you like to delve deeper into a specific aspect of product vision or explore other related topics, such as product strategy or roadmapping? If so add a comment

Addendum: Nov2014: I’ve just been reading an excellent book “Lean Change Management: Innovative Practices For Managing Organizational Change” by Jason Little. In Jason’s book he strongly advocates for co-creation as a powerful tool for successful change initiatives. By involving stakeholders in the change process, organizations can tap into the collective wisdom, creativity, and commitment of their employees, leading to more effective and sustainable change.