The Zen of Product Management #3
The Politics of Product
How many of us have sweated blood for months building out a new feature or even a whole new product, only to see it shelved halfway through development? How much of your carefully crafted product roadmap do you actually execute? It’s less than most of us care to admit. The failure rate of software initiatives historically ran at 60+%. The reasons are diverse but we all know from bitter experience that what is commonly known as ‘politics’ plays a major part.
Product Managers are motivated by shipping great product (fast) and delivering value to customers. Most of us cut our teeth working as engineers or UX practitioners. We tend to come from a meritocratic background, succeeding via technical expertise and measurable outcomes. But we are outliers.
It’s easy to assume that in the days of ‘big data’, decision-making with regards to product has become a scientific, analytical undertaking. This is what is supposed to happen. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Not everyone in a corporation (or even in a startup) is motivated by delivering great products or delighting customers. In fact most aren’t. Most people are motivated by self-advancement to varying degrees. At the extreme end is the Political Animal.
An excellent (though strangely anonymous) post on Quora summed up the mindset of this beast as follows:
“Manage perception rather than reality. Since real success is difficult, focus on appearing successful rather than being successful. Remember that your company’s customers, finances and mission don’t matter except as a score in the game. Treat it as a game and do what it takes to optimize your score. Always appear to be everyone’s friend until its time to stab them in the back. Recruit good people and take credit for their work. Blame suppliers, staff and competitors for your failings.”
I’ll wager that most of you find this outlook unsettling. Product Managers are makers. Like a football coach or Premiership manager, our fortunes are intrinsically bound up in those of our product. We pour passion and craft into our work. We don’t have the luxury (or the inclination) to distance ourselves from it if things go badly.
As Sam Lessin once observed:
“Optics are hard to overcome when there is failure. In the end, it’s a fail if the Product fails.”
The notion of allying yourself with a ‘Product’ or being motivated by solving customer problems is alien to the Political Animal . They regard their boss (and their bosses boss) as their customer, their team as suppliers and their peers as either competitors or allies.
Every blog post should have a human story. This one is particularly close to home. I’ve ridden the waves of good fortune and opportunistic circumstance when product was momentarily in the ascendant in the eyes of the CEO. I’ve subsequently crashed on the rocks of ill favour thanks to a sea change at the top that saw Product Teams marginalised and ultimately forced out; ostensibly because we were deemed to have had too much power previously.
At the top, corporations often resemble royal courts, populated by Political Animals clamouring for the monarch’s attention and hanging on his every word.
To be a Product Manager in this environment means trying to ship in a world where most don’t care about product, the customer experience or even the customer themselves. Meetings can feel like an encounter with a Dementor: your maker’s soul sucked from within you.
Here’s a few lessons from someone who has learnt (and is still learning) how to be a maker amongst the moneymen.
The most important thing is to acknowledge that politics exist and that you are part of it. Don’t be that person who thinks (or worse, announces that) ‘I don’t do politics,’ then finds themselves routinely outplayed by those that do.
Next, always remember that it’s never personal. A maker’s disposition means you may struggle to differentiate the rules of social relationships from professional ones. You don’t need to like someone to work with them.
As software eats the world, those in the digital driving seat represent an insidious threat to those in more traditional (and now challenged) roles. Not surprisingly, they are disinclined to sit back and watch you marginalise them out of their livelihood. Many will hit back in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. This is pure self-interest. But it’s business, never personal.
Bear in mind that acknowledging the game doesn’t mean you need to shaft people. This is another common mistake informed by the ‘nice guys finish last’ school of thinking which says that you can only get ahead at the expense of others. Again: not true. If shafting people doesn’t come naturally then you’ll never compete with those to whom it does. And once you’ve started down that road it’s hard to come back from with your credibility intact.
Instead, do the exact opposite and compete through EQ and Social Capital. Apply as much empathy as you can. If you understand someone’s motivation then it’s far easier to align your goals with theirs.
Smug but relevant quote #1:
“Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Help make others look good and they will be grateful. Mario Puzo’s ‘The Godfather’ remains one of the most insightful books on social relations ever written. Vito Corleone establishes a business empire that extends throughout the United States. He achieves this not through fear and intimidation (in the main) but through helping others, thereby creating a vast network of people in his debt. The bonds of reciprocity are much stronger than you think.
It may not seem immediately obvious, but as a Product Manager your biggest advantage is that you have a higher purpose. You stand for something more than just crass self-interest. Ironically, even the most archly-Political Animal may respect you for it. They will envy you as they can’t be like you.
Above all, make sure you always play a long game. Realise that most people around you are thrashing endlessly. Constantly reacting to the latest comment or email from the boss. Passion for product gives you a ‘true north’ to aim for beyond the day-to-day.
Smug but relevant quote #2:
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road’ll take you there.”
Next up, it’s worth bearing in mind that being right isn’t important and being smart is irrelevant. Despite the recruitment PR, organisations are often the dumbest, least objective environments imaginable. The playground writ large. Often you will find yourself expected to carry the can or pick up the pieces for events way outside of your control. Or worse: take the hit for the mistakes of others. Take it on the chin and never complain. And do everything you can to reduce dependencies on others.
Right now, Product Management usually reports into the CTO, CIO or even the CMO. If Product Managers are destined for a role at the top table in the future, we’ll need to master the art of swimming with sharks. Convincing yourself you can rise above corporate politics is naive and unrealistic. As an ex-colleague was once advised by his boss: “You’re run of the mill and junior until you realise it’s all about the politics.” But remembering that you’re a maker will help you hang onto your soul.
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