โจ When product management is first introduced, it feels like magic – roadblocks clear, plans align, and momentum builds across the organization. But as the company grows, that early sorcery fades. Process becomes bloated, roles blur, and inefficiencies creep back in. You are a long way from those early days of heroic product management.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many companies experience this as their product management practices organically evolve. The approach that drove early success becomes unsustainable at scale, impossible.
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There are clear warning signs you should recognize as unacceptable and the sooner you acknowledge the challenges the better. Process issues, role confusion, suboptimal hires, cross-organizational grumbling, and unexpected mistakes are all important warning signs; they are not foregone conclusions or a natural part of growth. They are opportunities. Each one points to underlying inefficiencies that when addressed, will lead to a revitalized, and efficient product management practice.
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The root cause is simple. Most commonly,ย the product management practice was never defined in the first place and instead developed organically over time.
When first introducing product management (usually a single product manager role), discussing a formalized practice is overkill and counterproductive to โgetting things doneโ. Unfortunately, it then becomes counterintuitive to even momentarily pause and define the practice – even when means being able to ultimately streamline and accelerate.
And once defined, the product management practice needs to continually evolve based on events like reorganization, growth, industry or technology changes, as new best practices emerge, or simply with the passage of time.
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Identifying these symptoms is just the first step. Next, tackle them directly with tailored strategies:
- Develop a shared understanding across the company, accounting for PMsโ unique role in filling organizational gaps.
- Use a framework like my “People, Product, and Process” model to facilitate role definition and full coverage.
- Map current and future needs with a product management using a specialized skill matrix. Make sure it accounts for your unique practice and industry, as mine does.
- Implement regular reviews (annually minimum) to evolve the practice as business needs change.
- Leverage external expertise – bringing in a consultant specializing in product management practices can save time, money and provide fresh perspective.
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