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1. Why Product Managers
Need to be
More Vulnerable
Cathy Huang 🐮
Product Director | Applause
huang.chengxi@gmail.com
Di Ye 🐘
CEO | Zhennovate
di.ye@zhennovate.com
Kurt von Laven 🐢
Software Engineer | Zhennovate
kurt.vonlaven@zhennovate.com

2. Today’s Session
Part 1: Be Vulnerable with Users
Part 2: Be Vulnerable with Team

3. Part 1: Apologizing
“A chicken restaurant without any chicken. It’s not ideal. [...]” ~ KFC

4. Part 1: Apologizing (Cont.)
“An image we recently posted on social media missed the mark in representing
women of color thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offense it caused.” ~ Dove

5. Part 1: Get Vulnerable with your Users
Exercise:
Identify a situation where you were in
the wrong.
Examples:
● Took too long to address a
concern
● Leaked sensitive information
● Blamed someone
● Didn’t communicate as well as
possible
● Made insensitive remarks

6. Part 1: Authentic Apologies
With a partner, discuss how you would
apologize.
● Does it clearly own responsibility?
● Is it specific about what went wrong?
● Does it address all relevant parties?
● Does it reflect an awareness of the impact
on said parties?
● Does it speak to what will change?
● Is it communicated empathically?
● Is the length appropriate to the context?
● Is it timely?

7. Part 2: Get Vulnerable with your Team

8. Part 2: Get Vulnerable with your Team
Exercise:
Think of an example where you
needed to set boundaries.
Examples:
● Scope creep
● Promising too much
● Stepping on toes
● Over-escalating
● Enabling gossip
● Avoiding conflicts
● Microaggressions

9. Part 2: Authentic Boundaries
Discuss with your partner how you could
communicate it compassionately
1. Take responsibility
2. Recognize which boundary was crossed
3. Determine how to set your boundary
4. Find a compassionate way to relay it
⚰

11. Takeaways
1. Vulnerability helps restore trust.
2. Vulnerability shows up in the courage to set boundaries.
Vulnerability is so much more...

12. Thank You!
🐮 Cathy huang.chengxi@gmail.com
🐘 Di di.ye@zhennovate.com
🐢 Kurt kurt.vonlaven@zhennovate.com