Influencing the C-Suite

That is a hard one to answer because there is no one-size-fits-all. There could be launches where the product rarely evolves and checking in with stakeholders once in a few months might suffice, at ot

If you believe that your partners are there to help you build the best experiences/products possible, then you should have continuous feedback loops with them not just at the start and finish. The mo

Working with data driven execs is in many ways easier - you present facts and get alignment based on data arguments. The challenge comes when trying to influence data driven execs when you dont have s

Lots of people say they are data driven, not everyone actually is. I find people are either swayed by data or by stories. Both are valid - it's easy for anecdotal evidence to mislead, but it's also ea

You will need both EQ and data. More importantly, to influence data-driven execs (which, arguably, all execs are) you will need to help expand their view of the world by adding depth of understanding

Three best habits to follow Clear communication strategies on why you are meeting, what problem you are trying to solve, what is the solution in your mind and the reasoning behind it. At the end of

Even beyond C-suite, a PM should tailor his/her message to the audience. A typical mistake aspiring leaders do whilst communicating with the leadership is get too much into nitty gritties and details,

Every interaction you have with your c-suite, set the context before jumping into content. A number of times 5-10mins into the meeting, the conversation derails into a completely different topic. That

Be helpful, be clear, be gone.  Let me expand.  Helpfulness: execs need your help with in-depth expertise and knowledge in your local area of product/business. You can show it in three ways:  Provi

Oh boy, this one is a doozy. Here's how I generally approach this situation - hoping it helps:  Make sure your manager is aware of the conflict and see how they might be able to support you. Dependin

There are two things I think about in cases like this: fears and steel-manning. I’ve found that one of the fastest ways to help get alignment amongst executives is to start by establishing their fears

Watch the video response on Loom, or read the transcript below: This question is a tough one. How do you ensure alignment when you have two executives, or sometimes even more than two, who disagree

Trying to understand views of both stakeholders and discussing Pros and Cons of points shared by both on given proposal would help in bringing more clarity about reasons for disagreement. And still di

'The stuck in the middle' is often a symptom of a larger problem which results from lack of operating principles for decision making. For example: we follow the DACI model for decision making where th

Carrying forward on the question above, it is imperative for you, as the mediator, to make the stakeholders seek common ground. Practically, this could involve a common session with. both of them exxp

Your primary role as a product manager is to ensure doing what is best for your products and customers. To manage conflict with stakeholders, try and listen to their point of view, what is important t

This is a really interesting question. I guess I’ve never really thought about being stuck in between two stakeholders before. Whether they agree with each other or not is actually mostly irrelevant –

To resolve this situation, you need to: Establish who is the decision maker (it can't be two people)  Summarize conflicting points of view and communicate the process of how you evaluate them (pros &

If your company uses Objective Key Results (OKRs) or other goal setting framework; that is the best guide for a PM to leverage. Tie your product/projects to company priority and use that to guide what

This comes down to transparency. See my later response on this topic. Make sure everyone on the exec team clearly understands the priorities, and more importantly, the non-priorities. When they make a

You need to educate the execs on those several directions. Often, folks assume that execs know (or remember) about those different directions. Be very clear and keep an ongoing education about the co

Use your product launches as a way to communicate how you are solving customer problems and driving company outcomes. Most companies these days employ communication platforms like slack, intranet boa

Quite simply - get involved and that in things that affect the outcomes that matter to executives. First make sure you clearly understand what you’re executive teams focused on. Your organization sho

Communicate on topics that matter to the executives through the comms channels that scale. For example, you can write your thoughts (but remember to bring specifics/numbers/exact plans) about topics t

A common mistake most product managers and sometimes even senior product leaders make while convincing c-suite in favor of a particular decision is bringing in tunnel vision related to just their own

Overwhelmingly, speaking the wrong language. Get out of the weeds, execs want to hear dollars and cents - business outcomes. Don't talk about user satisfaction in a vacuum, talk about how increasing u

3 most common pitfalls I see are:  Not simple enough Not investing into understanding broader context (outside of one's product area) Wrong words-to-numbers ratio Lack of simplicity is the most comm

Start with the customer and business problem you are trying to solve and get alignment on the priority to solving this problem. Oftentimes, the root cause of the disconnect is the timing on when to so

Here’s where you need to shift into an executive mindset. Good executives think in terms of costs and benefits and business outcomes they want to drive. And I’m not just talking about people in financ

By bringing clear plans, having a track record of driving results, and not being known as a person who asks for resources to "build an empire".  - I expanded on what a "clear plan" means in other answ

Startups are unique because (virtually) every employee is also a shareholder. Which means that every internal meeting is also a shareholders' meeting. Now, unlike companies where you are a passive sha

This is a tough one! It can be really difficult when you have exec stakeholders who aren't aligned. Ultimately, it's on them to get aligned and provide clear direction 'down the chain' but a few thing

This is where DACIs (or RACIs) decision-making frameworks are critical. At a projects inception, it’s important to agree with senior executives on who the single final approver should be. Who is accou

Goes back to the shared goals - which at a high level, are hard to argue with - revenue, cost savings, customer success, etc. Once you get that common agreement, then it's about the strategy / the "h

Getting senior alignment is a key strategic role for PMM - we can be powerful bridges and connectors. Whenever there is a clear difference of opinion the best thing I’ve found is to bring the customer

This is definitely a challenge most PMMs see themselves in. I typically find success when I work the challenge from both ends. If the executives cannot disagree and committ while in the same room, spe

Oftentimes, disagreements are simply differences of opinion, which exist because there is a lack of data. In this case, PMMs are great neutral third-parties who are well-positioned to close that data

Some elements to consider -  1. Market - Market landscape, gaps, and market opportunities. You want to work on an impactful problem area. Key Geos you will play in. etc. 2. Key vectors - I also like

A product vision statement is a short, concise, and aspirational set of goals for your product. As a Product Manager, you will need to develop a deep understanding of your company, customers, compeiti