Main Takeaways: -Global needs for good PMs and the opportunities we have in the globalized world -First impressions and cultural shocks of starting as a PM in a culturally diverse company -How working with international people can make you grow as a better PM

1. PMs in Culturally Diverse Companies by
Zalando Product Leader
www.productschool.com

2. CERTIFICATES
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3. Corporate
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4. Free Product Management Resources
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5. PMs in Culturally
Diverse Companies
by Zalando Product Manager

6. 01.
Oppoítunities
High global demand for good
Product Managers
02.
Challenges
Culture shock of starting as a PM in a
culturally diverse company
03.
Empoweíing
How to prepare for the challenge of
starting to work in a multicultural
environment
04.
Stíengths
How working with international
people can make you grow as a
better Product Manager
Agenda

7. About me
Maíia Beatíiz Vaz
● Data Product Manager with +4 years of
experience
● Brazilian, currently living in Berlin
● Experience working in 3 different
countries
● Passionate about human psychology and
cultural influences

8. Oppoítunities
01.
The high global demand for good
Product Managers

9. Global Demand foí PMs
Demand
Gíowth
PM job openings had a 29%
year on year growth in 2019.
Glassdoor had about 12,173 PM
listings in 2020
Píomising
Job
In a 2019 survey, LinkedIn
ranked Product Management as one of
the most promising jobs of
the year
New
Needs
Studies show that the coronavirus
pandemic has accelerated digital
adoption by major firms by as
much as 5 years.
Lack of PMs
The increase in demand for PM
roles in the US outpaces the
increase in demand for overall
roles by 5x.

10. What is stopping you?
If you are a PM or aspire to
become one, and would
love to have an experience
abroad - why not trying it?

11. That’s how I ended up in
Beílin …

12. About Zalando
Zalando is Europe’s leading online
platform for fashion and lifestyle.
Our goal is to become the starting
point for fashion.
Zalando has a strong workforce of around
14,000 employees of over 130 different
nationalities, and more than 200 PMs.

13. Challenges
02.
Culture shock of starting as a PM in
a culturally diverse company

14. Challenges of cultuíal diffeíences
Communication
Communication between
non-native speakers can often generate
misunderstandings.
Inteípíetation
What people of one culture or
country see as appropriate
behavior or common sense
may be quite different from
what citizens of other
countries expect.
Remote Woík
70 to 93 percent of all
communication is nonverbal.
Remote set up make it even
harder to pick up on the
unspoken subtext of a
conversation

15. Don’t take it foí gíanted!
Even those who are culturally informed, travel
extensively, and have lived abroad often have few
strategies for dealing with the cross-cultural
complexity that affects their team’s day-to-day
effectiveness.

16. 03.
How to prepare for the challenge of
starting to work in a multicultural
environment
Empoweíing

17. How to betteí woík in multicultuíal
enviíonment
Self-Awaíeness
One of the most important
thing is for you to understand
your way of working and how
your cultural background
reflects on your behavior
Know youí
team
Take some time to know your
colleagues besides work.
Learn what they like to do,
what motivate them and find
what you have in common
Be vulneíable
Don’t be defensive! It is crucial
to be open to listen to others’
feedback and carefully analyze
what you can improve about it

18. Books that have helped me duíing my jouíney

19. 04.
How working with international
people can make you grow as a
better Product Manager
Stíengths

20. 01.
EMPATHY
In order to achieve a PM role successfully there
is a need to be able to put yourself in the
customer’s shoes and understand their
perspectives as they use your product.
PM’s Impoítant Soft Skills
FLEXIBILITY
Product managers need to be able to keep up with
changes and stay flexible to ensure products are
developed and launched in a timely and efficient
manner.
02.

21. 03.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Proper communication skills, including written and
spoken, ensure the PM can effectively communicate
with their team and stakeholders to get successful
products built.
PM’s Impoítant Soft Skills
TRUST BUILDING
Being transparent about decisions with their team
and stakeholders, and getting them involved in the
decision-making process can be critical for the
success of a product.
04.

22. Recap
● Product Management is a hot role in the current marketing, with
thousands of global opportunities. If you are interested in moving
abroad or working in a multicultural company, go for it!
● Don’t take for granted the challenges of working with a
culturally diverse teams.
● When working with different cultures, you can strengthen
important soft skills for PMs, such as empathy, communication
skills and flexibility.
● Know your team, know yourself better and be vulnerable.
● Most important: Enjoy the amazing experience and all the
people you have the chance to meet!

23. Thank you!
Do you have any questions?
mbeatrizrvaz@gmail.com
/mariabeatrizvaz
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24. www.productschool.com
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