Volunteering to get ahead

I remember interviewing for a job several years ago, and one of the interviewers scoffed that I had listed a community service activity on my resume. Well, the joke is on him. Partly because I got the job anyway, but mostly because in the long run, the time I’ve spent volunteering has directly improved the quality of my work and the ability to navigate the controlled chaos of my “day job” as a product manager.

For the past 9 years, I’ve spent a good portion of my time running a leadership development program for teenagers. It’s not easy. It takes time. Patience. Planning. Patience. Humor. Patience. An open mind. And patience.

But I’ve learned the old do-gooder cliche is true: when you donate your time and energy, you end up getting just as much back in return. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned mentoring teens that have parallels in the world of product management.

Understand Context. Teen problems come in all different shapes and sizes depending on the teen’s background, environment, friends, home life, socio-economic status, etc. When trying to help them solve their problems, it’s important to understand all those different factors. If Jerry is failing math, your advice is probably not going to be the same as if Elaine was failing math. You first need to understand the core of what’s wrong and why, and then tailor your advice appropriately.

The same can be applied towards understanding customer problems and feedback. Understanding all your different market segments is one of the most critical pieces of product management. Don’t assume your financial services clients are going to have the same type of feedback that your consumer tech clients have. Don’t assume that a 60yr old end user is going to use the product the same way as a 21yr old. Identify and prioritize your most important market segments and then deep dive into each one individually.

Listen. Teens have a lot to say. A lot of opinions, a lot of problems, and a lot of energy. Many times, they’re just looking for someone who will lend an open ear.

Clients and end users can be the same way. They want to vent. They want to share their experiences. Before a feedback meeting, take a deep breath, go to your happy place and do your best to listen - without argument…without defensiveness…without trying to sell. Just listen. Naturally, you should always make sure to steer the discussion into the direction you need it to go; but you should be the one talking the least in feedback meetings. Take the feedback, organize a thoughtful response, and then followup afterwards.

Be Firm but Respectful. What’s the magic bullet for getting respect from teens? Treat them with respect first. Don’t talk down to them, challenge them to act like adults, and then hold them accountable as such. Give them boundaries and don’t let them walk all over you.

Same goes for your clients. Product Management 101 says that the most common word you’ll say is ‘No’. But that’s also the easiest way to piss off your colleagues. These are relationships you need to cultivate; so say ‘No’, but treat your colleagues like adults and explain your rationale - why that particular feature isn’t beneficial to the product, or why you can’t sell the product to that specific customer. In the end, the 5 minute investment of your time will yield great returns in mutual trust.

Look for cues. As much as teens like to talk, they won’t always open up about things easily. I’ve learned to keep an eye out for when they’re quieter than usual, easily distracted or removed from the situation. They won’t always raise their hands and say “I have a problem”, but as an aware mentor, you should be able to pick up on behavioral cues.

Think of analytics as the behavioral cues. Your customers won’t always raise their hands and tell you exactly what’s wrong. But if you’ve put the right reporting and analytics in place, those numbers will tell you a story too….

Have a back-up plan for the back-up plan. When you’re running activities with a large group of teens anything can happen. They might get bored, you might finish the activity quicker than usual, or the supplies you needed might disappear. Back-up games and activities are essential.

We’ve all been there. At the last minute, a deployment doesn’t go successfully. You need to roll-back code. Or there are those utopian situation where a developer says “hey, remember that feature you wanted but we couldn’t fit in? I think we can fit it in if you give me detailed requirements by end of day.” Always be prepared. Always be ready. Have your requirements up to date and your backlog prioritized.

At the end of the day, we all know that product management and the business world in general is all about clear communication and cultivating relationships: two things that make me think the business world isn’t that much different than high school (up to you whether that’s a good or a bad thing!)

(Author’s note: This is an adaption of a post I originally wrote for Good Men Project here: http://goodmenproject.com/tenthingsivelearned/ten-things-ive-learned-from-mentoring-teens-guestpost/)