7 Ways To Finally Be Perceived As A Strategic Product Manager
Elevating your role from tactical to strategic as a Product Manager is often the goal. Yearning to be at the heart of strategy sessions, spearheading coveted projects, and being the go-to for visionary insights? Dive in as I unveil seven transformative steps to get you there. While implementing all might not be necessary, each offers immense value.
Know The Language
To don your strategic hat, you must speak the lingua franca of product leadership. Ever mixed up your mission with your vision or fumbled with the term ‘strategy’? You’re not alone. It’s like confusing your lattes with your cappuccinos in a coffee shop — a no-go! Many PMs often dance on the edges of these core concepts.
Build A Strategic Product Narrative
Strategic product narratives are like the North Star for product managers! 🌟 They weave the captivating tale of your product’s journey, spotlight its transformative moments, and underscore the magic it brings to customers. Think of it as your product’s personal superhero origin story. Without this narrative, we might find ourselves lost in the maze of minor goals. But with a compelling story? It’s like a magnet! Everyone gravitates towards it, streamlining conversations and ensuring we’re all humming the same tune.
Having this narrative isn’t just nice — it’s a game-changer. It zooms out to reveal the grand canvas, ensuring we’re not just lost in the details of individual features. With such a strategy in hand, we can confidently steer our ship, addressing feature requests in sync with our ultimate vision. So, let’s make waves in the right direction! 🚀
Connect The Dots
To be perceived as a strategic product manager, it is crucial to connect the dots. This involves identifying three key points and linking them together.
Connect The Dots Backward — Context is key. Without it, nothing has meaning. To create a compelling product narrative, you must understand the product’s history and connect the dots between past decisions and present actions.
Connect The Dots Looking Forward — It is essential to clearly communicate how your proposal aligns with your company’s future objectives and how it will positively impact your customers. At Google, I learned that creating a slide to explain our past successes, current focus, and future potential was incredibly valuable. The concept of three Horizons, related to changes in your customers’ lives or market opportunities, is essential for strategic product management.
Connect The Dots Looking Upward — Understand that your product is not operating in a bubble. It is likely part of a more extensive product suite within the company. If you can’t explain why your product is valuable and how it aligns with the company’s goals, that’s a problem. It means you haven’t connected the dots between your product and the company’s overall strategy. Without this connection, you’re not considered strategic.
Don’t Be Afraid To Repeat!
Ah, the magical power of repetition! Research suggests that the more we bump into an idea, the more we cozy up to it — kind of like hearing a song over and over until we’re unconsciously humming its tune. First, give ’em a teaser, a mere whiff of the concept, then — BAM! — delve into the nitty-gritty later. It’s like offering a taste of the appetizer before serving the main course. Before you know it, they’re not just familiar with the idea; they’re downright smitten. But wait, there’s more! Serving up that narrative in various flavors and formats isn’t just a savvy move — it’s the golden ticket for anyone dreaming of brand greatness and strategic product management prowess. So, if you’re looking to have your idea stick like glitter on craft day, remember: Rinse, repeat, and revel in the results! 🌟🔄🎉
Connect Back
Link every move, every nod, and every decision back to that golden strategy everyone’s been raving about. Think of it as your compass, always pointing to the North Star of your broader vision. Make that strategy your dance partner; lead with it, twirl with it, and sway to its rhythm. When others catch a glimpse of this elegant tango, they’ll instantly recognize you as someone who’s not just playing checkers but 4D chess. And trust me, this approach isn’t just a theory I’m peddling. The roaring applause I received after my pitch? Well, that wasn’t for my snazzy shoes or my impeccable taste in ties. It was the proof in the pudding that connecting dots to the grand tapestry of strategy makes all the difference. So, ready to elevate your game and leave folks in awe? Dance on, strategic maestro, dance on! 🕺💡🌟
Have A Point Of View
In our immediate work environment, we tend to focus only on the product we are responsible for and how to make it more successful. However, as product managers, we should learn from our peers, managers, and others outside our expertise. To become strategic thinkers, we need to have a broader perspective and be able to influence others’ thinking. This doesn’t mean we must always be correct, but we should be willing to be wrong and have strong yet flexible opinions. People who adopt this approach are often perceived as strategic and more likely to succeed.
Tell Your Story
Learning how to tell your own story is crucial, whether you want to do it within your company or outside of it. When people seek help to get into FAANG companies, they often feel like they lack the experience of working on high-level strategy and vision. However, this is a misconception. In reality, they have been involved in strategic elements, unable to articulate their story effectively. They also fail to convey what they would do if given more strategic opportunities.
Our Intentional Job Search program is designed to help people tell their stories remarkably well to land their dream job. It is equally essential to articulate your story strategically to get promoted within your company.
These are the essential components to consider when aiming for a promotion, recognition, and establishing yourself as a strategic product manager. By building a reputation for being strategic, you’ll be given more opportunities that will further strengthen this skill set. This creates a positive cycle that feeds into itself, allowing you to take on more strategic projects, which, in turn, reinforces the perception that you are a strategic thinker. On the other hand, if you focus solely on executing tactical tasks, you’ll only be given more tactical projects and will remain in the same role. Therefore, to move forward and be perceived as a strategic product manager, you must focus on building a reputation for strategic thinking.
If you liked the blog post, you would love my free workshop, “5 Steps our Product Manager Clients Take to Land Their Dream Job, Increase Their Salary by 200%+, and Accelerate Their Career.” Go ahead, enroll now!
