AMA: Qualia VP of Marketing, Charlene Wang on Stakeholder Management

At some level, everyone in an organization ultimately shares the same overarching goals, whether that’s revenue growth, profitability, risk reduction, or another strategic objective important to senior management. When teams have conflicting objectives, it can be helpful to look higher up in the organization to identify a leader who oversees common goals across the different teams. Once you’ve pinpointed the closest shared goal among the teams you’re trying to align, take the time to understand ...Read More

I’ve found that the biggest challenge with Product Marketing prioritization is that stakeholders from across the company lack visibility into what’s being requested across the company, how requests are prioritized, and what’s realistic for PMM to address with existing capacity. This lack of visibility often results in too many requests making it onto PMM’s plate and stakeholders feeling that PMM is either not delivering on their requests or doing a subpar job trying to keep all the plates spinni ...Read More

I would start by focusing on building trust-based relationships with other teams. Strive to understand why they’ve taken over Product Marketing (PMM) responsibilities to begin with and what it would take for them to feel comfortable allowing PMM to reclaim these roles. In communicating with other teams, try to clearly lay out what PMM is, the value it brings, and why PMM is uniquely positioned to support the organization’s success. Provide specific examples of what strong PMM looks like and expl ...Read More

To resolve conflict between team members, I would first begin by grounding everyone in shared principles, focusing on the common goals and priorities that all parties agree upon. This helps to establish a foundation for constructive dialogue. Next, seek to understand the root cause of the conflict by considering the perspectives of all parties involved. Identify any assumptions or pieces of information that may differ between the conflicting sides. Bring these differences to light and discuss th ...Read More

To have your work recognized beyond your immediate team, start by understanding the broader priorities of the company. Well-functioning organizations tend to focus on initiatives that align with the key priorities of senior leadership. When planning your work, ensure that you understand not just the stated company priorities but also the reasoning behind them. This understanding will help you make informed decisions on how best to drive results that matter. When starting a project, identify spec ...Read More