Evaluating a Product Manager (PM) is often challenging.
Unlike roles with quantifiable deliverables, much of a PM’s impact lies in intangible areas like strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and aligning diverse teams. Yet, this doesn’t mean the value of a Product Manager cannot be measured.
By breaking down their responsibilities into key focus areas, we can establish a clear and actionable framework for assessment.
There is a practical approach to assessing Product Managers, focusing on four critical dimensions of their work:
- Product Execution
- Customer Insight
- Product Strategy
- Influencing People
These areas encompass the holistic contributions of a PM and provide measurable indicators of their performance.
4-Focus Approach to Assessing Product Managers
Product Execution
Product execution is at the core of a PM’s role. A competent PM ensures smooth delivery of features and products that meet business goals and customer needs. The ability to define, develop, and launch world-class products is the fundamental purpose of this role.
Focusing Areas:
- Feature Specification: Clearly define requirements, set actionable goals, and communicate them effectively to drive product delivery.
- Product Delivery: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (engineering, design, PdMs) to iteratively deliver value and achieve goals.
- Product Quality: Identify, prioritize, and resolve technical, functional, and business issues to ensure product quality.
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