This document discusses the role of emotional intelligence in product management. It argues that product management requires strong interpersonal skills since it involves understanding customer needs, influencing stakeholders, motivating teams, and managing other product managers. The document outlines the components of emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. It then provides suggestions for product managers to assess and improve their own emotional intelligence through reflection, skill development, and utilizing feedback from others. Developing emotional intelligence can help product managers succeed in their roles and better lead others.

1. THE ROLE OF EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE IN
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
VIKAS BATRA
JULY 2015

2. OUTLINE
• What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)
• Emotional Intelligence in Product Management
• Are you Emotionally Intelligent enough ?
• Raising Emotional Intelligence
• Additional Resources

3. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Capacity to recognize our own feelings and those of others and
to manage them both in ourselves and in our relationships ….
… in order to drive positive outcomes.
Regulation
Recognition Self
Awareness
Self
Management
Relationship
Management
Social
Awareness
Self Social

4. EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE – SELF
Emotions
Thoughts
Actions

5. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
INTERACTIONS
Emotions
Thoughts
Actions
Emotions
Thoughts
Actions
Self Others

6. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
IN PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Product Management is inherently people oriented.
Examples
• Product Discovery
• Understanding the real pain points
• Product Delivery
• Influencing Stakeholders
• Motivating/Inspiring Cross-functional Teams
• Teamwork/Collaboration
• Product Marketing
• Influencing Customers
• Manager of Product Managers
• Developing and Retaining Talent

7. ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY
INTELLIGENT ENOUGH ?
• Symptoms
• Formal 360 Degree/Performance Reviews
• Online Self Assessment
• Comparison

8. BEHAVIOR CHANGE
FRAMEWORK
Unconsciously Incompetent
Consciously Incompetent
Consciously Competent
Unconsciously Competent

9. RAISING YOUR EI
• Document your ‘Ideal Self’; Identify Gaps
• Identify Skills you need to develop, with Definition of Done
• Understand/Follow your Development Style
• Develop Skills Sequentially
• Sustained Practice
• Experiment, when stakes are not high
• Document Progress
• Reflect
• Work with Partner(s)

10. RAISING YOUR EI –
BENEFITS
• Improved Odds of Success
• Greater Likelihood of Job Satisfaction
• Prepares for Leadership Roles
• Better Relationships At Work and Outside

11. RAISING YOUR EI
• Self Awareness
• Document
• Introspection/Reflection

12. RAISING YOUR EI
• Self Management
• Regulating Negative Emotions
• Accept your feeling
• Label your feeling
• Taking time to Respond - 4 Seconds
• Using Emotions to your Advantage

13. RAISING YOUR EI
• Social Awareness
• Observe Harder
• Tone, Body Language, Facial E
• Listening to the “unspoken”
• Empathize and Anticipate – Before going into meetings
• Post-meeting discussion with partner

14. RAISING YOUR EI
• Relationship Management
• Maintain a log
• Acknowledging
• Motivating
• Genuinely care for inside and outside work
• Proactively reach out to help
• Recognize and Give Positive Feedback
• Influencing
• Providing Context.. Why are we doing what we are doing..
• Finding Common Ground
• Striving for Win-Win

15. RESOURCES
• Readings
• Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter
More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
• HBR's 10 Must Reads on Emotional
Intelligence by Harvard Business Review
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis
Bradberry , Jean Greaves
• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement
Without Giving by Roger Fisher, William L.
Ury.
• www.eiconsortium.org