I regard the job of a Product Manager to be a lot of communication and a lot of support and trust in the people you are working with. I share the view stated in Chapter 1 of “Product Management in Practice”, that the success of a PM is a shared effort of the team that the PM is working with.
What do I mean by multilingual Juggler? I am using the term “multilingual” in the sense of domain-specific terms and jargon. I believe that a lot of effective communication happens when you speak the language of the person that you are working with. Not only does it earn respect and build trust in you, but it also helps to prevent miscommunication between a PM and an engineer for example. I would consider being fluent in Computer, Design and Business as one of the main skills of a Product Manager.
Apart from domain vocabulary, the ability of juggling countless tasks and interests all at the same time is another big part of Product Management. Since PMs are often in the position of a mediator either between people with opposing opinions on their team or between higher management and the customer, the role appears to be a state of constant struggle and juggle to keep things moving in the best way possible.
My questions to Matt Lemay:
Can you speak to a situation when you absolutely hated the design part of your team came up with, but you didn’t want to micromanage them? How did you navigate the situation?
You are describing insecure product managers as bad product managers and that you turned into a secure PM through experiences over time. What would be your best advice for people new to the role of a PM and how can they become confident fast?
