How to get your Product Managers to love docs too
As tech writers, one of the key ways to make your documentation better is to make friends with people who have access to information you need, like Product Managers (PMs). Sometimes all it takes is to start a conversation first.
Whether you work solo like Batman or in a team, it’s helpful to get all the PMs you work with to understand both what you do and what you need from them so that everyone works effectively. This is because often in typical Agile environments, PMs are the primary communicators of their team’s deliverables, which makes them an excellent resource for tech writers like myself.
When I first started chatting with the PMs at my work, I didn’t begin anywhere in particular, but over time, I’ve been able to organize my thoughts into these useful talking points below. Use these points to make friends with your PMs:
Start with the dream
Put the PM in your shoes by helping them understand what the process of documentation would look like in a perfect world. Walk them through the genesis, iteration and implementation of a docs cycle. This is where you can gush over how amazing it would be to get detailed documentation in a timely manner, or ahead of schedule, including supplemental information that you didn’t have to ask for. Dare to dream of being able to publish with no delays and even better, with no last-minute scrambling to make crucial edits.
Don’t forget to sweeten the dream by reiterating the benefits of documentation — it yields a smoother product rollout, more informed customers and better engagement with your product. All good things that will make your PM swoon with joy too.
We wear many hats
While writing may be explicitly called out in some of our job titles (or in my case, “Communications”, which is similar), our work isn’t just exclusively limited to writing. I like to offer a gentle nudge to the PM that I wear (too) many hats (just like them!). I’m also a data analyst, graphic designer, project manager, self-learner, subject matter expert, and trainer… just to name a few. Creating content is only a small part of it, and it’s key to dispel any myths that your PM could be inadvertently thinking of in your role.
Use this opportunity to bond over any overlapping similarities, especially if they have deliverables that can save you from putting on one of your many hats too. Don’t forget to tip your hat(s) off together to a the start of a beautiful collaboration.
Product equals content
PMs are tasked with the goal of ensuring the product is delivered. This is where I remind the PM that documentation is absolutely a part of the product and not a separate entity. Product cycles are very similar to documentation cycles, so I like to describe my documentation workflow and how much time I spend on researching, synthesizing and editing to produce the final result. Draw the connection between all stages of your cycle so the PM can understand why you’re depending on them for certain deliverables.
If the PM wants to see the product successfully launched, help them understand why knowing the edge cases and unhappy paths is useful for internal documentation, and why the happy path is useful for external-facing documentation.
Timing is everything
Establish expectations around when you need information from others. Documentation takes time, like anything else in product development. So if a new feature ships at the end of week 6, and you need at least a week to prepare, the PM should understand that you need to have information no later than week 5… not on Thursday of week 6.
The more explicit you are about scheduling expectations, the more headaches you avoid, and the more likely you’re able to publish the documentation on schedule. This ensures the product rollout goes smoothly with no disruption in information to your customers.
Set up a channel of communication
Documentation doesn’t appear out of thin air with zero input, and collaboration is key to getting information. So work together with your PM to determine the best way of communicating, whether that’s by Slack, email, Google docs, or an unladen swallow. Whatever the channel is, use it to acquire whatever you need to complete your documentation (like access, files, input, screenshots and more).
Knowing the best way to communicate with the PM is also useful if you have questions, especially when it comes to extra information and product status, even more so if it’s unexpected.
… and make it the start of a beautiful collaboration.
If you cover these talking points, you’re off to a great start. Once PMs truly understand your role, capabilities and product needs, the more likely your PMs will be responsive, proactive and communicative. Share some fist bumps knowing that your product also has effective documentation to go along with it.
If you’ve got a great groove going with your Product Managers, I’d love to hear what your secret ingredient is. It’s time we documented our documentation practice, so that we can all learn from each other!
