Once you’ve completed gathering the information outlined in previous posts, absorb and analyze it. Does the information suggest that your organization is on track to meet its goals? Or do you see areas of difficulty?
Now consider what you’ve learned about your competitor’s actions and what clients are saying about your products. Do you believe your company has the market momentum to keep growing? What, if any, obstacles are ahead?
It’s likely that at this moment you know more about your product than anyone else. The facts you’ve gathered will be a huge asset when you begin creating a product vision and execution plan.
Product Managers Seek Input from Internal Colleagues via an Informal Survey
Before you begin tackling next steps, it’s wise to conduct an informal survey among colleagues. This will help you understand your colleagues’ expectations for you, as product manager. It will also encourage others to share their view of your organization’s situation. By capturing this information before you begin, you’ll have a way to measure your progress going forward.
What Product Managers Should Ask
Below are seven questions you should ask colleagues. To download a full list of questions to use in this internal survey, go to www.ActuationConsulting.com.
- What do you consider the biggest opportunity for our product in the next two months to a year?
- What do you think is the biggest challenge our product faces in the next two months to a year?
- Do you believe we currently have a clear and compelling vision for our product?
- Does product management thoroughly understand our customers’ needs?
- Do you believe our current product initiatives are on track?
- Do you believe product management’s goals and objectives are well understood?
- What do you expect from a product manager?
When the survey is complete, tabulate results and study them closely. Also share results with participants. These survey results can help form your baseline for evaluating future progress.
Hang on to the survey you circulated. You will probably want to use it again later in the year to compare results and gauge your progress.
Watch for my next post where I’ll cover what is involved in developing a preliminary plan for your team.
Advancing the Profession of Product Management™
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