The document discusses ways for product managers to combat burnout. It outlines some unique challenges product managers face, such as being responsible for communication across departments and managing expectations through delivering bad news. It then provides tips for tackling burnout, such as identifying the specific job aspects that are draining, taking strategic time off, resisting negative reinforcement, getting organized, and managing work-life balance. The document emphasizes assessing fit and being willing to change roles if needed to prevent burnout.

1. Combating Burnout as a Product Manager by
CNN Director of Product
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5. Combating
Burnout as a
Product
Manager
Simone Barsky Nili

6. Hi, I’m Simone
Currently: Product Director,
Commerce @ CNN
Formerly: Discovery Inc. (Food
Network, HGTV), People, Sports
Illustrated, Sundance Now, Warner
Bros.

7. What is Burnout?
Waking up with a feeling of dread
Difficulty concentrating, lack of motivation
Physical symptoms, emotional exhaustion
Can be from overworking or under-challenging

8. What’s unique to
Product burnout?
You work with every department.
● Everything’s your business
● You are often spread thin
● Your coworkers don’t know what you’re working on
● It’s hard to keep everyone in the loop in real time
● You are often the connection between
management and execution
01

9. What’s unique to
Product burnout?
You say no to people a lot.
● Delivering bad news makes you an enemy
● Managing expectations can be incorrectly
mistaken for incompetence or idleness
● Bad news has to roll off your back
02

10. What’s unique to
Product burnout?
You are always on demand.
● Engineers and Designers rely on you for
day-to-day direction and answers
● When you go on vacation, there’s not usually
someone to take on your strategic work (one
Product Manager per team)
● The work is always there when you get back
03

11. What’s unique to
Product burnout?
You are often the go-to “technical” person for
non-technical peers and executives.
● Bugs often get sent to you, not engineers
● Timeline questions are directed at you
● You need to translate technical issues and
blockers into plain language to everyone
04

12. What’s unique to
Product burnout?
Something always feels like it’s slipping through
the cracks.
● Your to-do list averages about 10 miles long
● Common feeling of “never doing enough” but
always working
● It takes confidence and self-assurance to
prioritize and know what must be done vs. what’s
nice-to-be done
05

13. Who in the world would
take this job??

14. How can you tackle
product burnout?
Identify what about your job is draining you.
● Not all Product jobs are created equal, and not all
Product Managers are seeking the same things
● Imposter syndrome can stem from incorrect fit
● Resources for personal insights:
○ What kind of Product Manager am I?
○ PMDaisy.com by Julia Nechaieva
● Assess fit and embrace moving on when
necessary
01

15. My Product Management Declaration

16. My Product Daisies
Collaboration with departments in decision
making, program management resource support,
research support to better understand the user
Distance from business and marketing
departments in decision making, responsible for
project management, no research resources
and little connection to the user

17. How can you tackle
product burnout?
Don’t be a martyr.
● Burnout affects not just you, but your team as well
● A day of no work outweighs poor attitude and
performance
● Be strategic about time off:
○ If you plan to spend the day relaxing, prepare in
advance
○ If you plan to spend the day creating, manage
your ambitions
02

18. How can you tackle
product burnout?
Identify and resist negative reinforcement.
● Reinforces feelings of frustration and helplessness
over problem solving
● Gossip is often a mechanism of the insecure, and
usually forges insincere connections
● Empathy is critical, but so is knowing the limit
● Not falling into negativity requires discipline
03

19. How can you tackle
product burnout?
Assess if you’re being reactive and need to organize.
● Nonstop slacks can be distracting
● Use organization strategies to feel less overwhelmed (here
are some that work for me):
○ Stop! Make a note or ticket
○ Make your roadmap cross-departmental and public
○ Organize & block your days (execution vs strategy vs IC)
○ Chase the inbox zero magic
○ Communicate your focuses
04

20. Organization Strategies
Stop! Make a note or ticket
Organize and block your days
Chase that inbox zero magic
Communicate your focuses
Make your roadmap
cross-departmental and public

21. How can you tackle
product burnout?
Manage your work hours.
● Delegate where you can
● When you’re off, stay off or set times for check-ins
● Consider your life OKRs:
○ Partner & friends
○ Family & kids
○ Personal health
○ Fitness & hobbies
05

22. CREDITS: This presentation template
was created by Slidesgo, including
icons by Flaticon, and infographics
& images by Freepik
THANKS
Do you have any questions?
Simone Nili
linkedin.com/simone-barsky-nili
twitter.com/SimoneNili

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