For the past four years, Actuation Consulting has been surveying product teams worldwide. During that time, our database has grown from hundreds of organizations to thousands. This product team assessment is designed to provide insight into how your organization compares to others in our continuously growing database. The results of this assessment should be viewed as directional in nature although each of the questions and associated responses are based on comprehensive regression analysis. Once you complete the assessment, we will share with you how your organization compares to others in our database. Your assessment results can be used to educate your organization on how well your team compares to high performance product teams worldwide.
Your Answer: We function as a seamless team. Congratulations! Only 10% of respondents in our database have reached this level of performance. Your product teams are operating at the highest levels of industry performance!
Your Answer: We are pretty united with occasional issues. Your answer is in line with the majority of respondents. Two-thirds of responses fall within this category. Only 10% of product teams indicate they have reached the next level of seamless collaboration, trust and communication.
Your Answer: Our collaboration, trust and communication are subpar. Approximately 22% of respondents indicate that they are experiencing similar problems. Awareness of performance issues is the first step to positive change. Product teams at this level of performance have significant opportunities to improve.
Your Answer: We don’t function as a team. Only 1% of organizations are experiencing this level of performance turbulence. Significant issues exist that will likely be resolved only with the active involvement of product team members and your leadership.
Your Answer: Unwavering support. Congratulations! Only 12% of respondents achieve this level of executive team support. Unwavering support from the executive team is highly correlated to optimal product team performance.
Your Answer: Adequate support. Your answer is in line with the majority of respondents. Approximately 49% of responses fall within this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams typically enjoy unwavering support from the executive team, but only 12% of teams have attained this level of trust and alignment.
Your Answer: Limited support. Approximately 29% of respondents indicate that they are experiencing similar challenges. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams typically enjoy unwavering support from the executive team but only 12% of teams have attained this level of trust and alignment.
Your Answer: Little or no support. Only 9% of organizations are experiencing this level of support. Significant issues exist that will likely be resolved only with the active involvement of product team members and your leadership.
Your Answer: Primarily with a team of executives. 53% of survey respondents in our database have reached this level of interaction with the executive team. Our data suggests that product teams who engage with key executive stakeholders as opposed to a single executive stakeholder are more likely to perform at a high level.
Your Answer: One stakeholder primarily and occasionally with a team of executives. Approximately 23% of responses fall within this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams typically enjoy the ability to engage more broadly with the executive team and that this broader engagement leads to the best results. However, only 53% of teams have attained this level of ongoing executive engagement.
Your Answer: Single executive stakeholder. Approximately 21% of respondents indicate that they engage with a single executive stakeholder. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams benefit from broader engagement with executive team members on an ongoing basis. However, only 53% of teams have attained this level of engagement with key executive stakeholders.
Your Answer: Yes, we are very aligned. Approximately 37% of respondents in our database indicate that there is a coherent business strategy that the product team can understand and act upon. Product teams that understand the company business strategy have the best chance of achieving high performance.
Your Answer: We have a business strategy, but it’s not well communicated. Approximately 28% of responses fall within this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams benefit from a well-designed business strategy they understand and upon which they can act. Approximately 37% of survey respondents enjoy this level of clarity and alignment with company business strategy.
Your Answer: Our business strategy changes too frequently to be useful. Approximately 26% of respondents indicate that they are experiencing similar challenges. Our regression analysis shows that high performing product teams align to a coherent business strategy and act upon it. Frequent changes to business strategy may be necessary due to dynamic market conditions, but these changes represent a significant challenge to product teams. The data show that frequent changes to business strategy actually impede product team performance.
Your Answer: I don’t think we have one. Only 5% of organizations are in a similar situation. The lack of a coherent business strategy is a significant impediment to product team performance. Our regression analysis suggests that understanding the business strategy is highly correlated to increased levels of product team performance.
Your Answer: I am not aware of the business strategy. Approximately 5% of organizations are in a similar situation. The lack of awareness of a coherent business strategy is a significant impediment to product team performance. Our regression analysis suggests that understanding the business strategy is highly correlated to increased levels of product team performance.
Your Answer: Very aligned. Congratulations! Approximately 37% of respondents indicate that their daily priorities are tightly aligned with company business strategy. Product teams in this response category have the best chance of achieving high performance levels. Keep up the great work!
Your Answer: Somewhat aligned. Your answer is consistent with the majority of respondents. Approximately 54% of responses fall into this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams indicate that they are very aligned with company business strategy, but only 37% of product teams have attained this level of alignment.
Your Answer: Not aligned. Approximately 7% of respondents indicate that they are experiencing similar challenges. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams typically enjoy tight alignment of their daily priorities with their company’s business strategy, but only 37% of product teams have attained this level of alignment.
Your Answer: Way off. Approximately 2% of organizations are experiencing this level of misalignment. Significant issues exist that will likely be resolved only through the active involvement of product team members and your leadership.
Your Answer: Our organization invests significant resources to keep us in tune with industry best practices. Congratulations! Only 22% of respondents in our database indicate that their organizations invest heavily in industry best practices. Product teams in this response category have the best chance of achieving high performance levels. Your product teams are blazing the trail.
Your Answer: We passively monitor industry best practices. Your answer corresponds with that of the majority of survey respondents. Approximately 53% of responses fall into this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams indicate that they actively invest in and incorporate best practices, but only 22% of product teams have attained this level of experimentation with new ideas.
Your Answer: We are too busy to incorporate industry best practices. Approximately 23% of respondents indicate that they are experiencing similar challenges. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams actively invest in and incorporate best practices, but only 22% of product teams have attained this level of experimentation with new ideas.
Your Answer: Industry best practices are too intangible for us to invest time in monitoring. Approximately 2% of organizations responded similarly. Our regression analysis indicates that the highest performing product teams actively invest in and incorporate best practices, but only 22% of product teams have attained this level of experimentation with new ideas.
Your Answer: We are completely in sync with our product sale cycle. Thirty-three percent of respondents in our database have reached this level of knowledge about their product sales cycle. Our data suggests that product teams who (not that) fully understand their product’s sales cycle are more likely to perform at a high level.
Your Answer: We struggle to stay in sync with our product sales cycle. The majority (43%) of responses fall into this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams are in complete alignment with their product sales cycle. However, only 33% of product teams have attained this level of knowledge about their products.
Your Answer: We don’t know what the sales cycle is for our product(s). Approximately 23% of survey respondents indicate that they don’t know their product sales cycle. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams are in complete alignment with their product sales cycle. However, only 33% of product teams have attained this level of knowledge about their products.
Your Answer: Yes. Congratulations! Only 37% of respondents indicate that there is a single person accountable for managing product launch and go-to-market activities in their organization. Our regression analysis indicates that having a single person accountable for managing the product launch process increases the likelihood of success. Keep up the great work!
Your Answer: No. Your answer is consistent with the majority of survey respondents. Approximately 63% of responses fall into this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams indicate that they have a single person who is accountable for product launch and go-to-market activities, but only 37% of organizations have adopted this approach.
Your Answer: We are performing at a high level. Congratulations! Only 33% of respondents in our database indicate that they are highly effective at delivering value on a consistent basis. Excellent job!
Your Answer: We perform well, but there is room for improvement. Your answer is in line with the majority of respondents. Approximately 53% of responses fall into this category. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams deliver value on a consistent basis, but only 33% of product teams have attained this level of performance.”
Your Answer: We are hit or miss. Approximately 10% of survey respondents indicate that they are experiencing similar challenges. Our regression analysis shows that the highest performing product teams deliver value consistently, but only 33% of product teams have attained this level of performance.
Your Answer: We miss more than we hit. Just over 4% of organizations are experiencing this level of ineffectiveness. Significant issues exist that will likely be resolved only through the active involvement of product team members and senior leadership.