Not to sound too much like the personable and well-groomed Cranky PM, but jeez, can’t a product manager get a break?
It’s hard enough to do all the things you know you should be doing in your role without the constant updating of sales tools, templates and yet one more PowerPoint that says the same thing as the last one in a different way. It’s hard enough to carve out a little time during an already overworked long week – when 60 hours is the norm not the exception.
And, then it hits! As a product manager you get used to people who think they can do your job better. In software and hardware, it’s the engineers – who think your role is not necessary. In services, the delivery teams all think that you don’t “get it.” So, how do you react when now it’s sales who wants to play product developer.
Sales! Yes, sales! The same team that focuses on the needs of one – whichever account they are trying to close today. The same team that makes you redo the PowerPoint that speaks to many, because their situation is different. They now think they know what to change in the product structure to make it [insert word here: faster, better, smarter, able to jump tall buildings in a single bound, see through walls, etc.]
And, if that isn’t enough, let’s get the management on board. They’ll eat it. They eat anything. Hey Mikey!
Looking in from the outside, if these teams would let product management do their job – validate the need, perform the market sensing analysis (whatever or however that is done in the environment,) actually use the tools that were created – it might really work. Imagine that.
Oh, and give it a chance before you throw it away to do over.
