“My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them.” – Richard Branson
As per Richard Branson quote, challenges are inevitable and we have to overcome and when we overcome them they make you a better person. In this blog, we are going to see the top 4 challenges of Product Manager.
They are listed below:
- Leading without Authority
- Aligning product vision and organization goal
- Getting your hands dirty
- Get Rid of Distractions and Move Agile
Leading without Authority
This is the top most challenge of every product manager in any organization. As a product manager you won’t have direct authority and you are depending on the team of multiple experts including developers, designers, marketers, support, sales persons. Product Managers are expected to be strong leaders, respected across an organization. They are also responsible to deliver high quality products which drive business results. They should take accountability when things are not working out, yet they are liberal in praise for the efforts of others when they do. Your role’s success is dependent on others’ success .
Leading through influence is a subtle but a mandatory skill to master to become a great product manager. Stay away from office politics and you have to maintain your reputation and relationship with the team. You can learn more about how to be an influential product manager from this blog.
Aligning Product Vision and Organization Goal
As a Product Manager it is inevitable to align the product vision and the organization goal. Create a long term vision for the product success. It does not mean that you should have a rigid roadmap of features and a strict deadline. Plan it at a high level and maintain the flexibility. You have to communicate effectively with your product stakeholders and go ahead with the execution of that. In simple words, you have to sell your product vision to the team and senior management constantly and consistently. This right strategy and getting acceptance from all stakeholders drives you to achieve your goals as well as the Organizational goal.
Getting your Hands Dirty
Sometimes, you might be short of staff temporarily. During that time, you should not hesitate to keep your hands at the ground level and work with the team to fill in the gaps. It might need out of your comfort zone like marketing or support. Don’t be hasty to learn new skills needed to know about the concepts and find ways to implement those in your work.
Get rid of Distractions and Move Agile
Product managers are fond of discussion about solving pain points. As a product manager you will get multiple ideas, feedback, requirements through multiple channels like customers, end users, the internal stakeholders, higher management and the roadmap features. In this scenario you have to focus on your strategy and give attention and move faster to what will take to make the customer succeed. Ken Sandy has recommended a thumb rule as Product managers are careful to ensure their motivations are best for the customer first, company second, team third, and themselves last.
References:
The influential Product Manager book – Ken Sandy