Proper management keeps Product Strategy alive (6:6)
Hi there, Product Manager! Going home already? I don’t think so
You’ve made the decision to share the product strategy with the team, so everyone is aligned and speaks the same language. In that same context, you’ve already provided the vision and goals. Just to add, the team now understands which problems to solve and what to measure.
In that scenario, as a Product Manager you have given them the tools and the autonomy to propose solutions. That’s cool! That is indeed all that is needed to succeed. But as you may foresee, I’m not stopping there. Neither would you.
Understanding what to build and providing the right environment aren’t the only things required for your strategy to last. Once the team jumps out to the field you must still be there to solve mishaps efficiently and connect the right people. For a product strategy to survive, consistent and good management is a must.
You will be there to make things easier for the team. That isn’t doing their job or preventing them from coming up with their own solutions. It’s all about unlocking tasks, facilitating and assisting. Depending on your seniority, you could also coach others on the right way to deal with a situation and help them reach their full potential.
Again, this is not about micromanaging. Proper management is about responding to help requests, finding things at the right time, and removing barriers.
That, is up to you. However, having an organization that supports this process makes this kind of leadership more realistic. Keep in mind that product centric organizations are interested in providing a suitable place that allows you to solve customers’ needs in ways that work for the business.
To sum up, remember that you will have to make trade offs almost every day. To get the team inspired and focused on the strategy, make it a clear one, and if it’s possible count with people that care about the customers. Know your stakeholders, look for outcomes and not outputs, iterate and learn, share those learnings and be on the lookout for more opportunities.
Keeping your product strategy alive will drive you and your team to make better decisions.
This article belongs to a Product Strategy thread.
Here are all of the articles from this thread:
- The one where we talk about Product Strategy
- Product Vision and Goals as leads for your Product Strategy
- Pick your battles when defining your Product Strategy
- Identifying needs and opportunities to build your Product Strategy
- The right way to turn your Product Strategy into action
- Proper management keeps Product Strategy alive
