Product manager special communication skills

As a communication link, product managers always play the role of coordinator between departments in their daily work. As far as my own work experience is concerned, a project often consists of several stages:

Project proposal and planning You need to work with your Leader and colleagues in the relevant product to determine the shape of the product, identify the core functions and the target audience, and divide the project cycle and the division of labor between the various departments. During the pre-project investigation with the project (functional requirements verification, the necessary data, etc.) and competing products analysis.

2. Project Design and Development. Product manager to complete product demand documents, product prototype. According to the division of labor, interactive designers, visual designers, research and development engineers in turn follow up simultaneously. During the product manager responsible for personnel, resource coordination and communication, and according to the need to timely adjust the product direction.

3 project test and verification. When the project is initially completed, internal testing and extensional external testing (ABtest) are carried out with bug fixes and detail changes. In the Btest process of product model validation, timely adjustment strategy.

4 projects on-line, operation and maintenance. Project formally launched, product operation, maintenance and timely version iteration.

How many processes do product managers need to communicate with?

My colleagues are roughly divided into four parts: Leader, product design, development and operations.

Leader, uploaded the core.

A good Leader is half the success of a project. Good here, specifically personal charisma and decision-making power, the former can gather the team, while the latter can provide sustained execution and to ensure project direction reliable. In the process of communicating with Leader, it is very important to clarify the product requirement. I strongly recommend that all communication be confirmed in the form of documents after the communication, including the function and positioning of the product. Misunderstandings often occur only by verbal communication, need to remember when it comes to remember by memory, often leading to information transmission errors.

In other areas, the product manager also needs to report the progress of the project to the Leader timely and timely, and accurately introduce the decision. If Leader has experience in technology and products, he can discuss it with him; if he is not quite sure about a certain aspect, it will objectively introduce it.

Product design, rational and emotional collision.

In fact, I wrote this article source, is the recent work with designers exchanges. In addition to the product manager myself in the team, I also undertake interactive design work, docking visual designer. Three or four designers contacted me back and forth. As a graduate of science and engineering, I had a lot of collisions and gained a lot of experience in communicating with art-related professional colleagues. The thinking of science and engineering is more process-oriented, relatively rigid, and what a function is determined in the early stage, and the work should be carried out according to the plan. But different designers need creative ideas, more spirituality, and more excellent work The designers themselves are the same. So in communications, it's often the case that designers completely modify the prototype, add a lot of cool effects and design styles, and even seem to me affecting functionality and interactivity ease of use. When we first started to deal with such situations, we did not understand each other, the designers thought I was too rigid, the prototype was boring and not creative, and I did not think that visual design should obscure the need for functionality and ease of use. On the other hand, we often tangle with each other to what we care about, and designers think about the style and placement of a button for a whole night (and I think it's alright a long time ago), and on the contrary I think something needs to stand out , Designers feel that here is the most perfect presentation.

How to solve these problems? My skill has two points.

First of all, the product itself as the core. This requires us to follow the product documentation to prioritize the design focus and context. Before you start, you should first make it clear what areas you must pay attention to and what areas need to be creative and play. In the process of communication, we must not complain to each other because of discredit and criticize each other (I have had a dispute with the designer before, it is very much should not), the project ability is the motivation and goal of teamwork.

Second, respect each other's profession and thought. Now I am working, the designer presents a creative design. If I feel that I should not be here, I will not directly deny it. Instead, I would suggest that designers keep the design but move to other suitable locations. Ideas are very important to designers, and they are also very valuable. The negation of creative ideas often arouses conflicts and makes designers feel that efforts have been wasted.

Therefore, good planning, good mid-term communication, good feedback late, you can greatly reduce the probability of rework designer can allow both parties to understand each other.

R & D engineers, GEEK world.

I was really fortunate that I was somewhat "literary and artistic", especially after I had just discussed the flattening and project VI with the designer. I immediately opened up another window and developed a colleague to talk about the server interface and Android compatibility. R & D engineers to solve the problem for the ultimate goal, what they care about is, by what means to complete, and how much the workload. At work, I fully trust the team's engineers, put forward reasonable and feasible requirements and give them to them completely. On the other hand, when they encounter difficulties, I can work together or apply for resource scheduling. So I really do not agree with the comments of some friends in previous articles, think product manager does not need much in-depth technology, think it will be farther and farther away from the user. We are not only for the user, but also for the entire project team.

When communicating with R & D engineers, pay attention to efficiency and conditioning. I often encountered in the development of other people to communicate, but did not say for about five minutes what to do, or clearly discuss this problem, the middle is always swinging to other things, so efficient Too low A word to be clear about the matter, immediately lay the draft to finalize a clear, simple and smooth communication, or grinding is really annoying chirp.

Operations team, product mentor.

Say product managers and R & D engineers are parents of products, they plan to create products. The operation is the product of the mentor, he helps products to develop advantages, correct shortcomings, church products how to attract users, how to compete with competitors, when the product has a problem, but also timely and parents feedback.

I have always believed that the product itself is excellent and rigorous, which is the greatest respect for the operation. Do not remember how many times to do the operation of a friend complained to me, a product to tell the truth he did not want to use, how to do promotion? So fine to do the product, the operation can be expected to have the power to go with the product Great band.

When communicating with the operations team, I focus more on data and scenarios. Observing the current product status based on operational data and operational scenarios is the most straightforward method. Just as your child is often in trouble, or a particular test score (data) is poor, will be called parents, and I need to analyze the source of the child with the teacher, take reasonable measures to correct these problems.

In summary, product managers have some special communication skills.

Respect for professional, so that everyone good at what they do, do not over-generation.

Respect for the individual, gentle speech courtesy, not too intense, too strong, too indifferent.

Respect the product, the main line after the formulation, work around the product, private business after work and then chat, improve communication efficiency.

Among them, the first and second point, really too important.

How, do you have your special communication skills?