Please share unique qualities you possess that highlight your potential to shake up the status quo in your professional life. (Limit: 250 words)
Please share unique qualities you possess that highlight your potential to shake up the status quo in your professional life.
When I joined the product management team at [Company x], I was taught to use the Waterfall approach, a sequential project flow where each phase depends on the completion of the previous phase. Unfortunately, this can result in a lack of stakeholder buy-in and the need to redo work. This inefficiency was especially noticeable in our internal website launches, as we couldn’t test features with users as rapidly as we needed to. I was curious how the product management department could consistently release new website features more efficiently. I was motivated to bring Agile business principles – rapid, two-week cycles of planning and executing – to my team to try and achieve the same success.
My curiosity led me to explore the product management department at [Company x]. Additionally, I completed a 3-day intensive class to become, became Scrum, and spoke with product designers, Scrum masters, and product managers about what worked and what did not work on their teams. All this knowledge allowed me to bring the best product management practices back to my [department] team and apply them.
This Agile approach allows us to communicate often with stakeholders, identify errors, and incorporate feedback quickly. [Department] finally found a project style that worked for us. My team is now more flexible and innovative. My growth mindset and curiosity empowered me to challenge the status quo and make meaningful changes in our team. I didn’t let traditional methods limit us—I sought new opportunities for myself and those around me.