
…e grown in my career I’ve seen that this kind of scrappiness is a key differentiator for PM growth. The whole point of the rules & processes is to get great work done, and if they’re getting in the way, you don’t get brownie points for letting them slow you down.
First, I learn about the goals of all the people on my team. Some of them might want to learn a new skill, others might want to get public recognition, others like to work on hard problems, others really believe in the company mission and want to make progress towards it. Then, I match my goals and the team’s opportunities to their goals — I frame my requests as things that will help them on their path to their goals.