the product management x-factor: how to be a rock star product manager
DESCRIPTION
Product Management is a tough job: we need to be business oriented, tactical, strategic, and technical all at the same time. But some people have cracked the code about how to be more effective product managers than others. What is it about these rock star product managers that separates them from the rest of us? Over the past 10 years in product management, Paul Young has observed what makes some people successful where others fail, and boiled it down to seven product management "x-factors," that turn good people into great. Winner of "Best Session" at Rocky Mountain ProductCamp 2010. NOTE: Because of the limitations of SlideShare, the formatting of this presentation does not match the original. Come to ProductCamp Austin in Jan 2011 to see this presentation live. productcampaustin.orgTRANSCRIPT
The Product Management X-Factor How to be a Rock Star Product Manager
Stuck in a rut
$1.64M Bonus
• Always seems to get what they need
• Manages winners
• Gets poached by recruiters and promoted
• “HiPo”
• Has the CEO’s ear
• Struggle for investment, mindshare
• Gets product leftovers
• Apply & fight
• Justify training
• Has to beg to be included
Size
of P
opul
atio
n
Years of Experience
Effectiveness
Business
Technical
Tactical Stra
tegi
c
Company
Personal
Inherited Lear
ned
Personality Traits Learned Skills Communications Executive Acuity
Confident
High Integrity
Competitive
Optimist
Curious
Charismatic
Servant-Leader
Always Learning
Whole Person Multi-vert
Delegator
Business-Savvy
Networker
Inspires Others
Questions Authority
Strategic Thinker
Time Selfish
PM Skills
Measurer
Sees products as a business
Truth to Power
Pragmatist
Right Thing vs. the Thing Right
Very Broad; Selectively Deep
Technical Chops
Street Cred
Synthesis
Master Listener
Pitch Artist
Master Communicator
Story Teller
Empathetic
Multi-Level Effectiveness
Executive Debater
Consensus Builder
Inherited Lear
ned
Personality Traits Learned Skills Communications PM Skills Executive Acuity
Confident
High Integrity
Competitive
Optimist
Curious
Charismatic
Servant-Leader
Always Learning
Whole Person Multi-vert
Delegator
Business-Savvy
Networker
Inspires Others
Questions Authority
Strategic Thinker
Time Selfish
Measurer
Sees products as a business
Truth to Power
Pragmatist
Right Thing vs. the Thing Right
Very Broad; Selectively Deep
Technical Chops
Street Cred
Synthesis
Master Listener
Pitch Artist
Master Communicator
Story Teller
Empathetic
Multi-Level Effectiveness
Executive Debater
Consensus Builder
Inherited Lear
ned
Confident
High Integrity
Competitive
Optimist
Curious
Charismatic Servant-Leader
Always Learning
Whole Person
Personality Traits
vs.
vs. L
L
L
L
L
H
H
H
H
H
Zhao, H. & Siebert, S. E. (2006). The big five personality dimensions and entrepreneurial status: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 259-271.
Entrepreneur
Manager Neuroticism
Extraversion
Openness
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Mutli-vert
Delegator
Business-Savvy
Networker Inspires Others
Questions Authority
Strategic Thinker
Time Selfish
Learned Skills
What How Why
Inspiration happens here.
Sinek, S. (2009). Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio
Measurer
Views products as a business
Truth to Power
Pragmatist
Right thing vs. the Thing Right
Very Broad; Selectively Deep
Technical Chops
Product Management Skills
$2.6B Ford’s Q1 2011 profit, best since 1998 and a 24% year-over-year increase.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ford-earns-26-billion-shares-rally-2011-04-26
“Street Cred” Synthesis
Master Listener
Pitch Artist Master Communicator
Story Teller
Communications
86%
Distinction 2009 Presentation Survey
25%
Executives who put more than two hours into preparing for a very high-stakes presentation.
Executives who believe that communicating clearly impacts their careers.
Empathetic
Multi-level Effectiveness
Executive Debater
Consensus Builder
Executive Acuity
Effective executives differ widely in their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs. Some are born effective. But the demand is much too great to be satisfied by extraordinary talent. Effectiveness is a discipline. And, like every discipline, effectiveness can be learned and must be earned. - Peter Drucker
Drucker, P. (1967). The Effective Executive. New York: HarperCollins
