Translated from:
[The Mistakes I made as a beginner Product Manager]
By Aran Davies
That was around June 2019. I was staring at my E-mail on the computer screen. It’s from my boss. It said, “I’m not going to go 1:1 with you until you get some clarity on your work.” At home and in college, I was rejected; However, it was the first time the hammer had been detonated in a working scene. The email was a serious blow to my self-esteem. I started to break the pot, and I continued to make one mistake after another.
Throughout my first year as PM I was quite forgetful and left a lot of bad memories. But when I look back, I see that these mistakes could have been avoided.
In this article, I’ve listed the main mistakes I’ve made. If you have these problems, correct them immediately
mistake1
Not proactively communicating key information
The team will always have a deadline. But by the deadline, the project was still incomplete. My boss would ask me for an update, and sometimes I would give a vague answer, sometimes I wouldn’t respond at all.
Result: My boss was very angry, and the consequences were serious. He thought I was not serious about my work.
The main harvest
As a project manager, you need to maintain a high level of focus on all the projects you are promoting. If you see something being delayed, give early warning and keep in constant communication with your boss.
Even if it’s bad news, deliver it ahead of time. Also state what you are going to do to solve the problem. It’s better to overcommunicate than undercommunicate.
mistake2
Focus only on execution, never offering new ideas
I’m usually too busy fixing bugs and other minor issues. You’re not likely to do anything new unless you’re asked to do it. Never asked for work and didn’t produce a lot of interesting ideas and suggestions.
The main harvest
Be active, not passive.
If you are given a system or function to manage, you need to constantly think hard about what you can do to improve it. Communicate with customers, research competitors, and do creative things. Whatever good ideas you get, be sure to pass them on to higher-ups.
Always base your idea on something concrete: it could be quantitative data or qualitative user stories.
Seek continuous improvement. Whether it’s processes, analytics, delivery schedules, or user experiences, focus on making things better.
mistake3
Failing to connect with the engineers
I used to think of engineers as people who couldn’t meet deadlines, but never tried to understand their needs, desires, and challenges. As a result, we were stuck in antagonistic relationships and blamed each other.
The main harvest
Involve the technical lead as the project is conceived. At each step, make them believe in what works and what doesn’t.
Schedule regular 1:1 meetings with engineers to get to know them better and how to work together to get the job done. Support engineering to prioritize infrastructure improvement, integration of new code tools and non-critical bug fixes.
mistake4
Not focusing on high-reward work
Even though I work from dawn to dusk, 90% of my time is spent fixing bugs, communicating information, and chasing people around. As a result, I had little time for deep reflection.
As a result, as a product manager, I didn’t create any good impact.
The main harvest
The team will judge you based solely on the impact of the product/feature. Therefore, make sure your core work is helping the product/feature become better than it is now. While problems are inevitable, make sure you don’t get caught up in a vicious cycle that prevents you from thinking strategically.
mistake5
Not trying to make friends with colleagues
I never tried to be a good friend to my boss. In fact, I often run in the opposite direction. ) I don’t respond quickly enough to their inquiries and never show any initiative. He never takes the initiative and doesn’t express himself.
The main harvest
Go beyond your boss’s expectations: If you must do X, try doing X+ A instead of just X-A. This will help build trust with your boss and give them confidence that you can get the job done.
Don’t take it personally: Your boss sometimes says things that might be offensive. If you make everything a struggle, you’ll feel depressed all the time.
When your boss asks you to do something, make it a priority. Show them that it’s as important to you as it is to them.
mistake6
Not focusing on improving my product management skills
In my first year as a PM, I hardly read a single blog/newsletter/book on product management, strategy, or business. Rarely to learn the good knowledge to update in practice.
Besides, I was lazy to talk with experienced product managers and failed to improve my management skills by exchanging views and communicating with them.
As a result, I never consciously improved my skills or abilities as a PM. The fact is that school is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back.
The main harvest
First read, then internalize, and finally implement.
Talk to more PMs, both inside and outside the company. Learn what works for them and what doesn’t. Give back to the PM community and help other PM’s. Mentoring others can motivate you to become better at what you are capable of. Never be satisfied with the way things are, always try to change things to make them better.
conclusion
As a PM who has been working for a period of time, I really hope that the new people who devote themselves to PM will take fewer detours and start work more quickly and systematically. So we saw this good article without hesitation to clap the board to push. I hope to give the students who are on this road ahead of the trample pit to avoid lightning.
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