When working with an experienced group of stakeholders, passion often runs high. Alignment sessions can be intense, and rightly so. People care deeply about the direction a product should take. As a Manager, I found it helpful to prepare Product Managers in advance. They need to know not only how to lead these sessions, but also how to handle the pressure that can come with them.
One technique I used was to encourage Product Managers to think through both sides of the gate before presenting. Why should the product pass? But also, why might it not? This helps them depersonalise the outcome and reduces the risk of being caught off guard by a stakeholder’s concern or perspective they had not considered. I noticed that new Product Managers, especially those unfamiliar with the company or the process, sometimes felt overwhelmed. Before their first pitch, I would introduce them to the audience and jokingly suggest they sing a song. No one ever sang, but the idea always lightened the mood. It gave the new Product Manager a moment to breathe and gave the stakeholders a moment to listen with empathy. That shift in energy often made all the difference.
Part of the DNA Insights woven through the book The DNA of a Product Manager.
Leave a Reply