Here's how you can navigate resistance to feedback in product innovation.

Your product is your baby. I get it. But the goal is to help the customer. If they want changes, you have to meet them where they are.

Empathy is your secret weapon when facing resistance to feedback. Put yourself in the shoes of your stakeholders and try to understand their perspectives. They might have concerns about the feasibility of your innovation or its impact on existing processes. By acknowledging their viewpoints and showing that you value their input, you're more likely to open a dialogue. This doesn't mean you have to agree with all feedback, but demonstrating empathy can help lower defenses and foster a more collaborative environment for product development.

We should acknowledge emotions and concerns while communicating feedback constructively. Show genuine interest in others' viewpoints and be open to understanding their experiences and challenges. By cultivating empathy, teams can foster trust, encourage collaboration, and effectively address resistance to feedback, ultimately enhancing product innovation and success.

Showing empathy doesn't mean that you accept everything that they say. It means that you should listen to their concerns without judgement. When you listen with empathy, people listen to you too. They will try and understand your motivations for a particular roadmap for your product.

Learn to recognize the difference between an emotional response, self-interested response, and a managerial response. Everyone has a multitude of responses at their disposal. Which one will you use when confronted with doubts about your ideas?

PMs including myself sometimes gets carried away by our business and user knowledge and tend to dictate changes to engineers. While this is true about the knowledge side because of our exposure, one thing I learned over time is that given the right context and exposure, engineers and other stakeholders might be able to come up with more innovative and user friendly solutions than you. Also, bringing the relevant stakeholders much early to the conversation make them empathise with the user and problem which leads to less resistance in change.

What always works is data on customer surveys and Business/Market impact the Product will create. Producing concrete numbers help stakeholders understand the value and bring them back on the table!

Goals must be clearly defined. Not necessarily set in stone, as they can change based on changing conditions, but clearly defined. Once there is a clear understanding of the goals of what you are building, then you will be able to explain the alignment towards those goals clearly. The way to do it is keep an open channel for information flow with all the stakeholders. If they are clear about your motivation, it will be easier for them to understand the benefits of your approach.

Illustrate how addressing feedback enhances market competitiveness and aligns with strategic goals. Frame feedback as an opportunity for professional development and innovation rather than criticism. By showcasing the positive outcomes and long-term advantages, teams can overcome resistance, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and drive successful product innovation.

Failure is actually on the path to success. Feel free to test and research ideas, then learn from best failed concepts. This methodology informs faster and leads to success with a lower investment.

Managing expectations involves also acknowledging concerns and addressing them. You can do this by actively listening and providing constructive feedback. Often when underlying concerns are addressed resistance is mitigated.

When presenting your product innovation, focus on the benefits it brings to the table. Resistance often stems from a lack of understanding of how the innovation will improve the current situation. Clearly articulate the advantages, such as increased efficiency, cost savings, or enhanced user experience. By emphasizing the positive outcomes, you can help stakeholders see the value in your innovation and reduce their resistance to providing constructive feedback.

This is critical. If expectations are not clear, then it leads to lack of trust. Often the ground truth of your product changes. You, as the PM, will encounter a lot of unexpected challenges. New innovations may be needed to solve these challenges. Priorities may have to be reworked. Keeping your immediate team and your stakeholders aligned is critical to maintaining trust that is essential for you to build a product.

Lastly, using data to support your innovation decisions can be a powerful way to navigate resistance. When feedback is subjective, grounding your responses in data provides an objective basis for discussion. Share user research, market analysis, or performance metrics that back up your innovation's direction. This evidence can help sway skeptics by showing that your innovation is not just a creative idea but is also informed by solid research and understanding of market needs.

In the world, where a lot of people merely gives positive feedback to anything and everything we need genuine people who resists. Resistance is a Magic Potion for Innovation. Managing those resistance and leveraging on it is a crucial step in innovation. It's important to ensure that those feedbacks are actually compiled during the prototype testing phase. As doing it too early into the innovation could be counter productive. Stay close to those who resist so that we could make a better Innovative Solution.

Garner support from leadership that advocates for the feedback process. When your stakeholders see that leadership values feedback, they are more likely to engage positively!