As a Product Manager, you are responsible for overseeing the development of a product from conception to market launch. The success of this operation depends on a number of factors, not least the way your product teams and stakeholders are managed. Today, at PYXIS, we’re sharing six tips to ensure your success in a product development context.
During product development, you manage a group of people with different skills, perspectives and objectives. You will also interact with various stakeholders such as customers, partners, investors and managers who have a direct interest in the success of the project.
How can we keep things running smoothly and keep everyone on track? By combining strategic thinking, human relations and hard work. With this in mind, here are our six tips for effectively managing your product teams and stakeholders.
Tip 1: Clearly define roles and responsibilities
Make sure all team members know what’s expected of them, and explain how their work fits into your overall product development strategy. This will save your team unnecessary effort and ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction.
Tip 2: Communicate effectively
Keep all stakeholders informed of product development progress and any changes to your roadmap. Consider regular updates, meetings or even quick checks to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Tip 3: Set clear priorities and objectives
Identify the most important tasks and objectives for your product team, and make sure everyone is working in the same direction. For example, you could create a roadmap or use a project management tool to track your team’s progress.
Tip 4: Encourage collaboration
Encourage your team members to work together and share their ideas. Facilitate communication and collaboration with other stakeholders wherever possible. To do this, hold regular meetings or make use of collaboration tools like Slack or Trello.
Tip 5: Manage expectations
Set realistic expectations with stakeholders about what your product team can achieve, and manage these expectations throughout the development process. This could include setting milestones or providing regular updates on progress.
Tip 6: Solve problems and deal with conflicts
When problems arise – and they will – work with your team to find solutions and resolve conflicts as quickly and efficiently as possible. You could call in a mediator or simply have an open and honest conversation with the people involved.
By following these six tips, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring that your product team and other relevant stakeholders work together effectively to achieve your product development goals.
At PYXIS, we understand the importance of effective management of your product team and stakeholders, which is why we’re pleased to announce that we’re launching a new training course in this area. This training will support executives, team managers, product managers, product owners and anyone else who wants to put in place a simple, reproducible framework when developing a new product, so that stakeholders, teams and their efforts are pointing in the same direction.
The training will cover key topics such as goal setting, communication, conflict resolution and stakeholder management. It will also provide participants with the skills and knowledge to effectively lead and manage their product teams and stakeholders.
