Productside Webinar

How to Get Your Next Promotion

Date:

08/28/2024

Time EST:

1:00 pm
Watch Now:

Looking to shape your career in product management? We’ll dive into what really works when you’re looking to step up to your next promotion. We will cover how to think about your career strategically and adapt to your context as needed.

This webinar will help you understand the bigger picture of your product’s place in the market, learn how to set clear, straightforward career goals, and share tactics on how to get the right people on board with your ideas. This webinar is perfect for those aiming for their next big role or just starting to shape their path in product management.   

What You Will Learn: 

  • Seeing the Big Picture: Understand your product’s impact and potential.  
  • How to establish and evolve PM career plans   
  • Building Support: Get buy-in from the right people.  
  • Staying Agile: Adjust and succeed as markets and goals shift. 

Welcome and Introductions

Joe Ghali | 00:00–03:00
Welcome everyone! As we get started, we’ll give everyone a few moments to log in. I’m Joe Ghali from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a consultant and trainer with Productside for nearly three years now, and I’ve been in the product management space for over twenty years. I’m joined today by Roger Snyder from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. Roger, want to say hi?

Roger Snyder | 03:01–04:00
Hey everyone! Great to be here. I’ve been with Productside for eight years and in product management for several decades. I’ve worked on all kinds of products—from software to consumer electronics to defense systems. Excited to share insights with you today about career growth and promotion in product management.

About Productside

Joe Ghali | 04:01–06:00
For those new to us, Productside is all about outcomes. We’re your partner in product transformation—whether you’re an individual, a team, or an organization looking to upskill. We focus on real-world training, outcome-driven frameworks, and building lasting impact. Today’s session, “How to Get Your Next Promotion,” is about mastering the art of advancing your product career.

Poll #1 – Years of Experience

Joe Ghali | 06:01–07:30
Let’s start with a quick poll: how many years of product management experience do you have? Less than three years? Three to five? More than five?

Roger Snyder | 07:31–08:00
Looks like most of our attendees are earlier in their product careers—perfect, this webinar will help you build the foundation to move up.

Defining Your Role with Promotion in Mind

Roger Snyder | 08:01–12:30
Why do product managers exist? Because this job is hard—most products fail. Our job is to bring clarity, alignment, and vision to teams. To drive product-market fit, we focus on building products that are valuable, viable, and feasible. That requires collaboration, communication, and influence—especially without authority.
To get promoted, you must master your current role. Align with your manager. Understand how your work makes your boss and your company successful. Take on challenges outside your daily scope—volunteer for task forces or cross-functional projects. Build relationships. Communicate your ambitions and establish your personal brand.

Joe Ghali | 12:31–14:00
Exactly. Take what you learn from training or certifications and apply it immediately at work. Demonstrate how you’re making your organization better. It’s not just about performing your job—it’s about showing leadership potential and initiative.

Mastering Your Expertise

Joe Ghali | 14:01–18:00
Let’s talk about mastery. At Productside, we use our Productside Blueprint to help PMs understand their ecosystem. It’s about seeing the big picture—how markets, competitors, and customers influence your product. Staying current is key. Use tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity to streamline research.
Keep learning. Follow thought leaders. Attend local product meetups. And teach others—when you teach, you learn more deeply. That’s how you build credibility and influence.

Roger Snyder | 18:01–19:30
Exactly. Teaching others is one of the most powerful ways to grow. It demonstrates expertise and fosters leadership naturally.

Elevating Strategic Impact

Joe Ghali | 19:31–24:30
Product managers must keep their eyes on the horizon. Think about what products to build, which problems to solve, and where your company is headed. Listen to earnings calls if you work for a public company—understand strategy through leadership lenses.
Prioritization is key—use data and storytelling to make your case. Be adaptable. Market conditions change fast; great PMs thrive amid uncertainty. That’s how you become a trusted voice and earn promotion.

Roger Snyder | 24:31–26:00
And remember: measure success. Focus on outcomes, not just outputs. Success metrics show the customer impact; health metrics show the product’s condition. Combine both to demonstrate true business value.

Demonstrating Leadership

Joe Ghali | 26:01–31:00
Leadership in product management is all about influence without authority. Inspire, motivate, and align your teams. When you achieve results, share them. Document your wins—keep a promotion journal and update it often.
Also, master conflict resolution and negotiation. You’ll face competing priorities constantly. Books like *Never Split the Difference* are great resources. Use outcomes to guide negotiation—show how trade-offs align with business goals.

Roger Snyder | 31:01–33:00
And self-advocate. Don’t wait for someone else to promote you—build your case. Keep your resume updated every six months. It helps you reflect on your growth and prepare for opportunities.

Building Your Career Plan

Roger Snyder | 33:01–37:30
“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” That’s Zig Ziglar. Define your goals and build a plan to reach them. Identify your next role. Understand your growth areas. Seek mentors—especially outside your organization—to get unbiased feedback.
Track achievements with data. “Increased customer retention by 15%,” “Launched X product across Y markets”—quantify your impact. Take ownership of your path.

Joe Ghali | 37:31–39:00
Yes, and balance ambition with wellness. Don’t overcommit. Work-life balance isn’t optional—it’s essential. Burnout kills potential faster than any missed promotion.

Poll #2 – Career Challenges

Rina Alexin | 39:01–40:00
What’s your biggest obstacle to promotion? Unclear path? Limited feedback? Stakeholder alignment? We see this across teams—alignment and communication are the biggest gaps.

Q&A and Closing Remarks

Roger Snyder | 40:01–End
One question we often get: “What if your manager supports your promotion, but there’s no budget?” Do the job before you’re promoted. Demonstrate readiness. Build your case. Budget cycles change—be ready when they do.
And remember—career growth is a journey, not a sprint. Keep learning, build relationships, and focus on outcomes.

Joe Ghali | End
Thank you all for joining! Follow Productside on LinkedIn, check out our certification courses, and remember—focus on outcomes, not just outputs. See you next time!

Webinar Panelists

JoeGhali

Joe Ghali

Product leader driving global transformation through better systems, strategy, and teamwork—delivering faster value and lasting business results.

Roger Snyder

Roger Snyder, Principal Consultant at Productside, blends 25+ years of tech and product leadership to help teams build smarter, market-driven products.

Webinar Q&A

To get promoted in today’s PM landscape, you must demonstrate strategic thinking, cross-functional leadership, and outcome-driven execution—not just backlog management. According to the webinar, PMs who advance fastest show they can: Link product work directly to measurable business outcomes Influence without authority across engineering, sales, design, and leadership Use AI, data, and market insights to make faster, smarter decisions Manage conflict and negotiate priorities effectively Build trust by communicating a clear vision and delivering results consistently These are the traits leaders look for when deciding who’s ready for the next step.
The webinar breaks this into a simple, promotable framework: Define your next role clearly—what responsibilities, skills, and outcomes does it require? Assess your current skills (e.g., strategy, communication, product planning, stakeholder management). Identify your “spikes”—your standout strengths—and showcase them visibly. Fill your gaps using training, mentoring, or hands-on opportunities. Track wins quarterly so you can advocate with data, not hope. This proactive plan helps your manager—and their leadership—see exactly why you’re ready.
Influence is one of the strongest promotion signals. The webinar explains that PMs build support by: Communicating the “why,” not just the “what” Using outcome-based storytelling to align teams Bringing data, customer insights, and tradeoffs—not opinions—to conversations Demonstrating leadership in cross-functional efforts (even without authority) Asking directly for feedback and adjusting quickly When executives see you consistently reducing chaos, aligning teams, and driving clarity, they view you as leadership material.
PMs can lead long before they manage people. The webinar highlights several high-leverage ways to demonstrate leadership now: Own decision-making frameworks and communicate them transparently Facilitate productive meetings and calm chaos during tough moments Volunteer for cross-functional task forces or complex initiatives Mentor junior PMs or cross-functional partners Champion customer insights and outcome-driven thinking These behaviors signal you’re already operating at the next level—and should be recognized for it.
Even when raises or headcount are frozen, promotions still happen—just more selectively. The webinar advises PMs to: Do the next job before you’re given the title Build a portfolio of wins tied directly to business results Make your impact visible with a running accomplishments journal Become indispensable by taking ownership of complex, ambiguous problems Show resiliency, professionalism, and “grace under pressure” When budgets loosen, the PM who has already been operating at the next level is the first one leadership turns to.