What Does “Good” Look Like for a Product Team?

Many organizations say they want high-performing product teams. They talk about speed, customer value, and better outcomes. But when you ask a simple question, things often get unclear.

What does a good product team actually look like in daily work?

This question sounds easy, but it is one of the biggest reasons product transformations stall. When teams do not have a shared understanding of what good looks like, improvement becomes guesswork.

When “Good” Is Vague, Progress Is Random

In many organizations, teams are told to be more product-focused without being told what that means in practice. One team thinks it means delivering faster. Another thinks it means talking to customers more. Another thinks it means writing better roadmaps.

Research from Harvard Business Review has shown that when goals are unclear or abstract, people struggle to change behavior. They may work harder, but not in the right direction. Clear expectations are one of the strongest drivers of improvement because they reduce confusion and help people focus their efforts where they matter most.

Without clear definitions, teams often revert to what feels safe and familiar. They focus on outputs instead of outcomes. They follow processes instead of learning. They stay busy, but impact does not improve.

Good Is About Behavior, Not Titles or Tools

A strong product team is not defined by its org chart or the tools it uses. It is defined by what people do every day.

Good shows up in behavior.

• It shows up in how teams decide what work matters most.

• It shows up in how they learn from customers.

• It shows up in how they handle tradeoffs and uncertainty.

• It shows up in how work flows without constant handoffs or delays.

McKinsey research on product transformations consistently points to the same conclusion. The biggest difference between successful and stalled transformations is not the model chosen. It is whether teams actually change how they work together and make decisions.

When behaviors do not change, results do not change.

Why Teams Struggle to Define “Good”

Many leaders assume teams already know what good looks like. In reality, teams often receive mixed signals.

One leader rewards speed.
Another rewards predictability.
Another rewards detailed plans.

Teams try to satisfy all of them and end up confused.

Studies in organizational psychology show that people perform better when expectations are clear, consistent, and observable. When expectations are vague, people rely on assumptions. That creates inconsistency across teams and slows improvement.

This is why defining good cannot be left to interpretation. It must be explicit.

Defining Good Starts With Shared Goalposts

To enable real adoption of a Product Operating Model, organizations must first define clear goalposts for product teams.

This means describing behaviors in simple terms that teams can recognize in their own work.

Not theory.
Not slogans.
Not maturity labels.

Just clear signals that answer questions like:

Are teams focused on outcomes or just delivery
Are decisions made close to the work
Is learning happening continuously
Is work flowing smoothly or getting stuck

When teams understand what good looks like, they can intentionally improve rather than guess.

Seeing Reality Matters Just as Much

Defining good is only the first step. The next step is understanding the current state.

What is actually happening on the ground floor of daily work?

Research from MIT Sloan shows that organizations improve faster when they use evidence-based measures instead of opinions. When teams can see how their real behaviors compare to expectations, they are more likely to change in meaningful ways.

This requires a way to observe and measure behavior in a consistent, lightweight way.

Turning Clarity Into Action

This is why we created the Product Team Essentials & Flow Assessment.

The assessment establishes a shared definition of good through clear, behavior-based criteria. It then helps teams and leaders understand the current state using evidence rather than assumptions.

It does not judge teams.
It creates clarity.
It gives leaders and teams something real to work with.

We are inviting organizations to join our Beta Program to participate in this assessment.

The Beta Program helps you:

Define what good looks like for product teams
See how teams are actually operating today
Use insights to enable improvement with focus and intent

If you want your Product Operating Model to deliver real results, start by answering the most important question clearly.

What does good look like?

Join the Beta Program and start building shared clarity where it matters most.