In this episode of Leading Human, host Chad interviews Radhika Dutt, author of 'Radical Product Thinking' and the forthcoming book 'Escaping the Performance Trap.' Dutt challenges the conventional wisdom of goal-setting in performance management, arguing that tools like OKRs and KPIs often backfire.

Instead, she introduces an alternative framework focused on detailed vision statements, puzzle setting, and puzzle solving, which encourages continuous learning and adaptation. The conversation explores the history of goal-setting, its limitations in complex environments, and practical steps for implementing Dutt's approach.

Author of Radical Product Thinking, a speaker and entrepreneur, Radhika Dutt has participated in 5 acquisitions, 2 of which were companies she founded. She's an advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore. She's also an MIT grad with SB and M.Eng in EECS, and speaks nine languages.

01:12 Challenging Traditional Management

03:38 The History and Problems with Goal Setting

07:25 Alternative Approaches to Alignment

14:56 Implementing Puzzle Setting and Solving

20:30 Overcoming Resistance to Change

26:23 Lightning Round and Conclusion

Radhika's LinkedIn profile

Radhika’s Website

Radical Product Thinking (website for the methodology and Radhika’s first book)

Speaker reel

Links to the OHL framework/ toolkit

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