Question Page

How can I navigate a situation where I am frequently assigned project management tasks rather than product management responsibilities, and where there seems to be a lack of emphasis on product vision and impact-based product building?

2 Answers
Vasudha Mithal
Vasudha Mithal
Care Solace Chief Product OfficerDecember 5

It is important to understand the product culture of a company. PM work is very often confused with project management (as you are experiencing).

Your manager is the biggest lever in this scenario - define your goals clearly with your manager (typically companies follow an OKR based process for this). Goals should be business objectives and then actual tasks to accomplish the goals should be defined by you vs. someone assigning tasks to you.

There will always be some part of project management in our roles (particularly if your company doesn't have a function for that). It is OK to have a few templates/processes for project management - like what do you use for managing timelines, getting and providing progress updates - but try to make this a 'self-service' process. For e.g. give your team the templates and define the process at the start of a project for everyone to enter their updates by xx every week and then you just share those widely. This is a good level of project management to do but your main focus should be centered around accomplishing your business goals / problem solving. I'd be surprised if you are able to accomplish the business goals via just project management tasks.

696 Views
Sheila Hara
Sheila Hara
Barracuda Networks Sr. Director, Product ManagementJanuary 31

In situations where you're frequently assigned project management tasks instead of product management responsibilities, it's important to proactively address the issue:

  1. Communicate Clearly: Have a candid conversation with your manager about your role and the type of tasks you're being assigned. Express your desire to focus more on product management aspects, emphasizing your skills and interest in areas like product vision and impact-driven development.

  2. Define Roles and Expectations: Seek to clarify and define the boundaries between project and product management within your team. Propose a clear delineation of responsibilities that aligns with your role as a product manager.

  3. Demonstrate Value: Take initiative where possible to showcase your product management skills. This might involve presenting your insights on product vision or proposing strategies for impact-based product development.

  4. Seek Mentorship: Engage with a mentor within the organization who can guide you in navigating this transition and advocate for your involvement in more product-centric roles.

  5. Continuous Learning: Keep enhancing your product management knowledge and skills. This will not only reinforce your expertise but also provide you with additional tools and frameworks to advocate for a product-focused approach in your team.

388 Views
Top Product Management Mentors
Sheila Hara
Sheila Hara
Barracuda Sr. Director, Product Management
Sirisha m
Sirisha m
Uber Director of Product
Natalia Baryshnikova
Natalia Baryshnikova
Atlassian Head of Product, Enterprise Agility
Orit Golowinski
Orit Golowinski
Jit.io VP of Product Management
Mamuna Oyofo, MBA
Mamuna Oyofo, MBA
Shopify VP of Product
Tom Alterman
Tom Alterman
Notable Head of Product
Mike Arcuri
Mike Arcuri
Meta Director of Product - Horizon Worlds Platform
Anton Kravchenko
Anton Kravchenko
Carta Sr. Director of Product Management
Poorvi Shrivastav
Poorvi Shrivastav
Meta Senior Director of Product Management
Kara Gillis
Kara Gillis
Splunk Sr. Director of Product Management, Observability