AMA: GitLab Group Manager, Product, Derek Ferguson on Stakeholder Management

Balancing transparency about product roadmaps with the reality of shifting timelines can be extremely challenging. No one wants to hear that the feature they are eagerly anticipating has been delayed. That being said, transparency is king here, even when you are telling someone something they don’t want to hear. To start off with, depending on who I am communicating to (like Sales or customers), I try to use a tiered confidence system rather than specific dates for anything beyond the current qu ...Read More

In my opinion, decision making should focus on outcomes rather than ownership. Frame the conversation around "How do we ensure we make the best decision for our customers and business?" rather than "Who gets to decide?" Framing the conversation like this shifts the dynamic from a power struggle to collaborative problem-solving. In the end, it really doesn’t matter who makes the decision, as long as the decision is in the best interests of the customer and company. A good way to help create clari ...Read More

I think the biggest struggle for junior PMs when working with executives is understanding the fundamental differences in communication and decision-making that happen at the executive level. Some of the key things that I’ve observed in my career are: The altitude shift. Junior PMs typically operate in a detail-rich environment with a lot of context. This is necessary for them to make decisions and weigh priorities against each other. Executives operate at 30,000 feet with limited time and compet ...Read More

As all PMs are aware (or should be), cross-functional partnerships are essential for you to be successful as a Product Manager. Building great partnerships usually requires deliberate effort...it rarely just happens. Relationships are built on trust and mutual understanding; cross-functional partnerships are no exception. I invest time to understand each function's objectives, constraints, and success metrics. For Engineering, this might mean delivery velocity and technical debt management. For ...Read More

“Often” is an understatement, but I’m sure you are being diplomatic about it. This happens to most product managers across the board. It’s a major reason why PMs burn out. There are a few strategies for working with executives to help them understand this and narrow the focus of product managers. First, does your executive team actually see everything that you are working on? If not, educate them on everything that you have going on. Depending on the executive, they may have only paid attention ...Read More

This can be an extremely difficult thing to do, depending on the personalities involved. When communicating that a stakeholder's request won't make it onto your roadmap, the approach you take can either strengthen the relationship or damage it. Even when saying “no” to someone, you can often build your relationship with them by helping them to understand your reasoning. This is how I typically approach this type of conversation: First, deliver the news directly and promptly. Once the decision is ...Read More

The PM/PMM relationship can be difficult to manage, especially when there are overlapping responsibilities and different perspectives on timing. However, I don't believe that it has to be this way. I've had many PMMs that I've been able to align with incredibly well and maintain a great relationship with them throughout multiple years and product launches. Establish clear role boundaries and handoff timelines early. Many tensions stem from ambiguity about who owns what in the product launch proc ...Read More