- There is no conventional start that makes one product manager better than others
- Empathy is the biggest key towards understanding everything
- The willingness to learn is the most effective and relevant skill in all product management
6. Outline
• The First few weeks
• The goal is self reliance
• Stay invested in people
• Sharing feedback
• How to know you're doing well?
• The Myth vs Reality
7. The First few weeks
• What to expect?
• You are here to help your team achieve success
• Your role is to improve the purpose, people and
process
• Purpose = outcome the team wants to accomplish
• People = right people and environment to
accomplish the purpose
• Process = how your teams work together
• Your fears and doubts are normal
I have two things I want
to discuss. But first lets
go through your list of
topics for our 1:1
I'm ready!
I guess it's time
for our weekly 1:1.
How's it going?
I had a sandwich for
lunch...the weather's
nice, right?
AVOID
ASPIRE
8. The goal is Self reliance
• Your role as a manager is not to do the work
yourself , even if you're best at it, because that
will only take you so far
• Set clear expectations with yourself
• Example – You are the owner of lemonade stand
• Your success = success of your directs
You are the owner of a Lemonade stand that
operates one hour per day
Owner = 20 cups/hour
Henry and Adam = 10 cups/hour
15 hours of training
….= loss of 20*15 = 300 cups
Post training..
Henry and Adam = 12 cups/hour(2 extra)
To make up for lost 300 cups
300/4 = 75 days < 3 months
And then additional sales of 4 extra cups per hour
9. Stay invested in people
• Hire the right people
• the concept of "weak hire" by Julie Zhuo
• Always give benefit of doubt
• Start with a Blank Slate
• Build trust
• "Since I am new, you might not feel comfortable
sharing everything with me right away. I hope to
earn your trust over time. I'll start by sharing
more about myself, including my biggest failure"
Got it. My Team and I
are going to do X,Y and Z
AVOID
ASPIRE
Here's the situation: A, B and
C are the problems right now
I need you and your
team to do X,Y and Z
10. Sharing Feedback
• Periodic feedback - don’t wait for end of the year
• Give task specific feedback
• Feedback isn't personal
• Little encouragement goes a long way
• Make them feel valuable
It's time for our
Annual Performance
Review. Here's how
you've been doing for
the Past Year
AVOID
ASPIRE
Can I share some feedback
for you from that meeting
this morning?
11. How to know you're doing well?
• Your reports regularly bring their biggest challenges
to your attention
• Litmus test to assess health of employee-manager
relationship
• Your reports would gladly work for you again
• You and your reports regularly give each other
feedback and it isn't taken personally
Note - Mistakes are inevitable but you'll learn
something every step of the way
How are
you doing?
Never been
better
How are
you doing?
I'm stuck
and I need
your
advice
AVOID
ASPIRE
12. The Myth vs Reality
If you are wondering whether you can be a
great manager, ask yourself,
what do you find more motivating, an outcome or
a specific role?
• Outcome = team's success
• Example of specific role – UX designer, engineer
THE MYTH
THE REALITY
I did it! I'm a
great manager
now! GO ME!