Doing vs. Thinking
It is a rare product management position where one doesn't have some tactical load to deal with. The Dude prefers to maintain a balance, and leverage the tactical morass to build a network of influence within the organization, furthering their effectiveness
Over a decade of exposing some of the seamier sides of the profession of Product Management. An irreverent traipse through the thickets, some past wisdom, packaged with wit, profanity, and references to intoxicating substances.
Strap in, it's gonna get bumpy!
If there ever was a fundamental conundrum in Product Management, it is the knowledge that the Product Manager should be cogitating a significant fraction of the time.
This is often discussed as being “Strategic”, and certainly at the top of the organization, that is what leaders say they want their product managers to focus on.
However, there is the rest of the responsibilities that are heaped on product management, often called “tactical”, are the bane of the product manager.
A tweet posed the conundrum as “thinking” vs. “doing” and it caused me to think deeply about the role and how it is perceived.
What is important to the company
There’s little doubt that a strong product manager brings a lot of value to the organization,
Here is where the Dude sees the big disconnect. The leadership team will say they want their product managers to be strategic, a.k.a. “thinkers.” They want their domain knowledge, and market experience to guide the prioritization, and planning of new development efforts to provide the most value to the company.
Yet there is also a slew of activities that are uncategorized, but are crucial to a smoothly operating business. These activities often fall to the operative of last resort, the product manager. Once they fall into that bucket of work, they are dreadfully difficult to get rid of.
You can try to remove them from product management's purview, that is easier said than done. They are like lamprey that attach to sharks and balance their appetites with the health of the host. These parasitic tasks are needed for the business to run, but they do dilute the cognitive load on the product manager.
Effective Product Management
A good product manager realizes the balance, and weighting of their efforts is critical to success and is able to slide between tactical and strategic seamlessly. That also means at times not letting your manager know how much of this tactical morass that is on your plate. That can be difficult to achieve, but it is a coping mechanism.
This is not entirely an insane position. There is a benefit to these mundane tasks. It gets the product manager closer to many different groups uplifting their visibility, and gaining trust between groups. Frankly, these administrivia tasks increase the perceived value of the product manager role leading to increased effectiveness.
That said, as a product manager, one must learn to balance the tactical drudgery versus the strategic imperatives, ensuring that they do not drown. Just do not expect your manager to handle the balancing, as they will curtail your ability to maintain the relationships that you work to build and nurture.
Final Thoughts
The Dude will say that he <gasp> enjoys some of the tactical tasks. They usually are things that can be checked off of a list, giving direct evidence of progress that many of the bigger strategic initiatives never can provide. A sense of accomplishment of a thing.
And without that, product management can be a millstone wrapped around your neck. But don't overlook the strategic imperatives, as that is what you really get paid for!
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