What Are the Strongest Product Management Skills?
In our recent Product Management Skills – Benchmark Report, which surveyed over 1,650 product managers globally, the top three skill areas were domain knowledge, customer understanding, and communication skills.
- Domain Knowledge: Product managers often excel in this area due to their deep expertise in specific market spaces.
- Customer Understanding: Understanding customer needs is crucial to building the right product. Without this foundational skill, success is unlikely.
- Communication Skills: Effective written and verbal communication is critical for successful collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
Become a Mentor for Others
Mentorship is a powerful way to hone your product management skills while advancing your career. In Productside’s Women in Product Management blog series, successful VPs of Product Management frequently highlight the value of having and being a mentor.
For instance, Soni Meinki, SVP of Product Management at Optum, shared:
“The greatest piece of advice I ever got was to go to meetings early, especially the important ones. Sit near the person running the meeting, whether it’s a C-level executive or CEO. Be prepared, share your opinion, and you’ll gain respect.”
Mentorship helps you develop skills by teaching them to your protégé. Practicing next bench coaching or swivel chair coaching with a new team member is particularly effective. Whether assisting with a requirements document or attending a retrospective, sharing both the “how” and the “why” solidifies your knowledge.
Be a Thought Leader
Writing is an excellent way to share insights and establish yourself as an expert in product management. Whether it’s blog posts, white papers, or books, sharing your expertise helps you and your organization grow.
A thought leadership plan can help you achieve this. Start by identifying topics where you have significant expertise or unique insights. Develop a content calendar and collaborate with your marketing team to publish articles regularly.
Great platforms for publishing include:
- LinkedIn PM Groups
- Facebook PM Groups
Speak Up at Industry Events
Public speaking is another avenue for sharing product management expertise. Events like ProductCamp and Meetup.com gatherings offer opportunities to present on topics you’re passionate about. These venues are perfect for honing public speaking skills while contributing to the product management community.
Giving Back is Its Own Reward
Sharing your skills through mentorship, writing, or speaking not only benefits others but also enhances your expertise. As many industry leaders attest, the act of giving often leads to greater personal and professional growth.
How will you use your product management skills to impact your peers, community, and the broader field of product management?
