Soon after I started, Heath was ready to move forward with implementing a common product operating model. Parts of Modivcare were using product management best practices, but not everyone was. I presented a proposal with two options: a federated or centralized model, with the pros and cons of each. We went with a federated model where each senior executive would have a product leader, and the product leaders would create a center of excellence (CoE) so we could work toward a standard process for engagement and delivery.
Leaders who already had a product leader were happy because little would change, and leaders who didn’t were happy that a CoE would give their new product leader a support structure.
At first, progress was slow but steady because product leaders were in high demand across multiple initiatives, making it difficult for them to fully focus on building the new model. Their strong systems thinking skills meant they were frequently sought after for various priorities, which contributed to the challenge of maintaining momentum. Six months later, the organization made the decision to move to a centralized model, consolidating the product teams under my organization. When we made that change, there were concerns the product team wouldn’t maintain their independence and importance when they moved to an organization led by a CIO. I worked to address those concerns head-on by clearly communicating that product isn’t joining technology; Product and Technology is a new organization, with a new culture, structure, and goals.
