How do you manage timelines overall when you are dependent on other teams?

As PMMs, we’re on the hook for successful product launches but often rely entirely on teams we don’t directly manage. Product needs to hit GA, Marketing needs to plug into product announcements into pipeline campaigns, Enablement needs time to train GTM....it can be a lot to coordinate! What’s worked for me is starting with a clear launch strategy and workback plan, then bringing all stakeholders together early through a kickoff meeting to align on timelines, owners, and priorities. From there, ...Read More

This is one of the hardest things about PMM. You are responsible for certain outcomes, but the execution requires coordination with teams outside your own. The secret to managing timelines in this situation is quite simple: constant communication and clear expectations. What has worked for me in the past, is creating a project page that outlines the entire project timeline and key milestones. For each milestone, identify a specific owner who will represent the team working on it and participate ...Read More

Great question, because timelines will ALWAYS slip. I think some of the most important things to remember are: Get alignment on the goals. If you're launching something that your pipeline goals depend on, for example, you need to keep coming back to that to remind folks why tight deadlines are critical. Always ask, "What are the things that might be more important than this? What is less important than this?" Make dependencies clear. I once was asked by the head of engineering to give a presenta ...Read More

This is a muscle you will continue to flex, anytime you start a new role or at a new company. Soft skills go a long way here. When you're new, your best strategy is to listen first, then add value fast. I always start by trying to understand and empathize with each stakeholder’s world...what pressures they’re under, how they define success, and where they feel stuck. At ServiceNow, I made a point to ask, “What’s one thing I could help with right away?” That often led to quick wins: better messag ...Read More

In general, it's good to have a high level of visibility for cross-functional initiatives so that success or failure is shared across teams. This creates a joint sense of ownership and incentivizes on time delivery. I'm new in my current role and am working with other dept leaders to establish a cross-functional launch process that cuts across every DRI that contributes to a launch - from engineers and product designers to content marketers. We will have multiple workstreams across different alt ...Read More

Managing timelines is a fundamental part of cross-functional project management. For any project to be a success, everyone needs to know who is doing what and by when. Here are some tips for sticking to your timelines. Start with your final launch date and work backwards. Make sure that launch date is clearly and frequently stated so everyone know what they’re marching towards. It helps when this is immovable (like a public event date). Know the dependencies. When are final assets due? What’s th ...Read More

Product Marketing sits at the intersection of many cross-functional teams, especially when it comes to go-to-market and marketing campaign planning. This means that PMM has the benefit of collaboration across many teams but it also means that PMM is dependent on a lot of cross-functional partners in order to actually get things done. That said, great project management and communication is key to managing timelines with your cross-functional partners to drive towards successful outcomes. What I' ...Read More