The candidate must “spike” (“8/10” or higher) in all of these areas, in order of importance:
1. Critical Thinking
Given how many decisions and complex problems are thrown at PMs, this the #1 most important attribute I screen for. They don’t need to be a rocket scientist (top 0.5% of population) but they should be exceptional at this (top 5%). Good looks like:
- Take large ambiguous problems and break them down into smaller pieces
- Uses logic to convince others
- Gets to the root of the issue: Think about things from multiple angles but then focuses on what matters (this is key and hard to find).
The more senior a candidate the more critical thinking/problem solving looks like: starting the why and bigger picture, being principles-based, helping others to structure their thinking (good frameworks, simplifies and structures conversations etc.).
I usually test for this both in the initial phone screen and through a product thinking interviews (case questions, panels)
2. Drive
PMs have a lot of responsibility, get very little direction, and get too much credit and blame, so they need to a) self start and b) be motivated to keep trying even when faced with obstacles. Good looks like:
- Ownership over outcomes vs. just doing the activities? A former manager of mine once called this “an insatiable desire to ship”
- Self starter - Can we throw them at a problem and trust them to figure it out without hand holding?
- Vigilance - do they generally think ahead to the outcome they are trying to achieve? Do they proactively address what may get in the way?
This is very hard to screen for in an interview but you can get signals from behavioral questions, their questions to you, and follow ups.
3. Bridge Building
There are two parts of bridge building
1. EQ - not easily coachable
2. Communication - this includes both written and verbal communication skills and both the quality and frequency of comms. Verbal and written comms are usually coachable.
It’s ok if someone isn't a perfect communicator because people improve on this over time. But it’s not ok if they don’t have sufficient EQ. Good looks like:
- Self aware - seeks to know (and improve on) their own strengths and weaknesses, self reflects without defensiveness
- Situationally aware - skillfully navigates people situations and figures out how to influence others towards an outcome
- Concise and clear answers that are easy to follow, verbally and written.
I usually test for written and verbal comms in the panel exercise and interview questions. I test for self awareness and situational awareness in behavioral interviews.