It’s All About Conversations
I was recently interviewed by a junior Product Owner for her graduation thesis, which centered on the responsibilities and general aspects of product management. An intriguing question she posed was about the most critical skill for a Product Owner. Without hesitation, I said communication. Reflecting on the interview, she noted a pattern: nearly all the product managers she interviewed emphasized communication as a key skill.
Issues Are Everywhere in the Real World
This unanimous focus on communication among PMs didn’t surprise me. In the realm of product management, we acquire various skills and techniques, but in practice, many challenges arise.
Issues can be everywhere.
The lack of infrastructure for A/B testing.
Insufficient quantitative data for in-depth insights.
Limited time and resources, necessitating a ‘win on the first try’ approach.
Communication is the Key
But amidst these challenges, one aspect remains universally crucial: communication. It could be said that communication costs are often the most significant within any organization.
For PMs, techniques, methods, and tools are essentially conduits for initiating effective conversations. Customer hypotheses serve to kickstart dialogues with customers to validate assumptions. These assumptions then transform into questions for engaging with the audience.
Various prioritisation techniques aid PMs in fostering discussions with stakeholders and teams, encouraging them to share their perspectives within a structured framework.
User stories are fundamentally about dialogue too. They help establish a collective understanding among the team, clarifying the project goals and expected outcomes.
Refinement meetings, often daunting for newer PMs, are not about fault-finding but are crucial forums for conversation. I remember a junior PM friend expressing his fear of refinements due to the possibility of overlooking details. However, I’ve learned that these sessions are not about judging the quality of user stories or acceptance criteria. Instead, they are collaborative spaces where technical feasibility is assessed, risks are identified, and solutions are brainstormed, often with valuable input from designers.
In essence, the heart of product management is initiating and nurturing these conversations. It’s through dialogue that ideas are shaped, challenges are addressed, and successful products are built.
