- 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

1. From Newbie to People Management
by Expedia Product Leader
www.productschool.com

2. CERTIFICATES
Your Product Management Certificate Path
Product Leadership
Certificate™
Full Stack Product
Management Certificate™
Product Management
Certificate™
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40 HOURS

3. Corporate
Training
Level up your team’s Product
Management skills

4. Free Product Management Resources
BOOKS
EVENTS
JOB PORTAL
COMMUNITIES
bit.ly/product_resources
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5. Newbie to
People Management
What I wish I knew
Shubhangi Sharma
Product Manager, Expedia Group
linkedin.com/in/shubhangi29

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!

13. www.productschool.com
Part-time Product Management Training Courses
and
Corporate Training