Mastering Internal Partnerships: The Hidden Skill of Great Product Managers
Sep 12, 2024
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Join John Haggerty, a seasoned product leader and coach, as he explores the art of internal partnerships in product management. Discover why treating stakeholder engagement like a product can enhance collaboration and outcomes. Haggerty shares effective strategies for customizing communication with diverse teams and highlights the importance of empathy and informal interactions. Tune in to learn how to avoid common pitfalls and measure the success of your internal partnerships, boosting your influence across the organization.
Fostering strong internal partnerships requires adapting communication styles to meet the diverse needs of various stakeholders and teams.
Implementing an 'internal partner discovery' process helps product managers identify and address the challenges faced by colleagues effectively.
Deep dives
The Importance of Internal Partnership
Product management often emphasizes external factors like market fit and product launches, but it’s crucial to focus on internal partnerships as well. Internal stakeholders, such as finance, marketing, and sales, play a significant role in a product's success, yet their contributions can often be overlooked. Empathy for these internal groups is essential for product managers, who are typically adept at understanding customer needs but may struggle with recognizing the needs of their colleagues. Improving communication and collaboration among these teams can profoundly impact product outcomes and organizational effectiveness.
Customized Communication Strategies
Effective communication with internal partners requires a tailored approach rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy. Each department or individual might need different types of communication based on their role, seniority, and personal preferences. It’s essential for product managers to identify these variations in communication styles and adapt accordingly, whether that means sending high-level summaries to executives or detailed updates to team members. By recognizing the unique needs of each partner, product managers can enhance relationships and improve collaborative efforts.
Internal Partner Discovery Process
Just as customer discovery is vital for external users, an internal partner discovery process enables product managers to understand the challenges faced by their colleagues. This involves asking targeted questions to uncover internal partners' biggest challenges, preferred methods of solving problems, and priorities that may influence product strategies. Regularly engaging with stakeholders through follow-up questions helps clarify needs and fosters a collaborative spirit, ensuring that all parties are aligned in their goals. Monitoring these interactions is crucial, as continuous feedback can refine communication processes and reinforce relationships over time.
Iterative Learning and Measurement
Product managers should apply an iterative, lean startup approach to their interactions with internal partners, continually assessing and refining communication and engagement strategies. Establishing specific metrics can help track the effectiveness of these interactions, such as how quickly issues are resolved or the nature of feedback received. Transitioning internal relationships from adversarial to collaborative demonstrates success in communication efforts, and tracking changes in sentiment is essential for understanding relational dynamics. By committing to regular check-ins and feedback, product managers can ensure they are addressing the real needs of their internal partners.
In this episode of Rocketship.FM, we dive into an often overlooked but crucial aspect of product management: working effectively with internal partners and stakeholders. Join host Mike Belsito as he interviews John Haggerty, a seasoned product leader and coach, who shares insights on how product managers can build stronger relationships within their organizations.
Learn why treating internal collaboration like a product itself can lead to better outcomes, and discover practical strategies for:
Conducting "internal partner discovery"
Segmenting and customizing communication with different stakeholders
Measuring the success of your internal partnerships
Avoiding common pitfalls in stakeholder management
Whether you're a new product manager or a seasoned leader, this episode will equip you with valuable tools to enhance your influence and effectiveness across your organization. Don't miss this opportunity to level up your internal partnership skills and drive better product outcomes.
This episode is sponsored by:
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