"Yes! Product Manager" teaches you how to execute a product manager in a tactical way

At that time we are very punctual, at 8 in the evening, on the QQ, such as an appointment face.

The two sides greet each other, nothing more than eat, if it is to eat, then eat what this kind of will be able to enter the chat status as soon as possible gossip.

But fortunately, he did not eat, and I did not eat, according to him, because he did not eat on time habit, so often is a few packs of biscuits, and a few bottles of Coke to make up for dinner, if a little more extravagant, it is called a McDonald's a kind of fast food, of course, if this junk food can be regarded as rice.

The reason I didn't eat was because I was talking to people, especially talking to people, and I was easily sleepy when I ate, whether it was offline or online.

The following is my chat record with Zhou, for the convenience of everyone to read, I have to reorganize.

Zhou: I am very inspired by this morning's communication, but I think I have to absorb it slowly, so you go on to talk about the third job of product manager.

Me: OK, I'll tidy up my thoughts.

Zhou: 

Me: The third job of the product manager is "let someone else do it".

Zhou: So what does the product manager do?

Me: Don't worry, listen to me slowly.

The real meaning of "let someone else do" is not to say that in this job, the product manager is herding his flock, asking no questions, but saying that the product manager needs to know what to do and what not to do.

Zhou: Can you say it specifically?

Me: Let me give you an example. Take the software to say, your technical strength should be outstanding in the company?

Zhou: it's OK.

Me: I believe that your strength is the ability to make a very "good" software products, in the 1990s, relying on personal strength once created a large number of well-known personal software authors, such as Baijun, Bao, Shing, Wangjiangmin (Miss Wang), Liang, etc., but, Do you still see the software in the market now?

Zhou: They I know, we mister and they are good friends, these software is not the same as before, do you want to tell me that the software lost market reasons?

Instead of answering directly, I continued my thinking.

Me: Why is this, in fact, the reason is very simple, when the product's personal influence is gradually less than the commercial impact of the product, if you can not move, it will inevitably be eliminated.

This is true of any product.

Thus, when a product becomes more and more commercially available, the power of business operations becomes a decisive factor, not simply technical strength or sales strength.

Therefore, a highly skilled individual or enterprise can make a "road" product, but not necessarily to make a "marketable" product.

and product management is to ensure not only to make "road" products, but also to make "marketable" products.

We often say products to "marketable", but for product managers, should be the first "road" to "marketable".

The first two work in the morning is to guarantee "the right way", the third job is to guarantee "marketable".

However, marketable work is a critical phase of business operation, involving a business in all aspects of the Department, such as technology, BD, PR, sales, customer service, operations and other departments, so many departments, so many people, and a product from the concept to the market on a firm footing, but also take a long time, Who is responsible for such a large team working in such a long cycle? There is no doubt that the product manager is responsible for this product.

This stage is made up of a large number of small and large work, you will not expect the product manager to do everything by himself?

Zhou: That must be a goner.

Me: But, you say that if the product manager is not involved at all, completely to the business unit to complete their own, it is also impossible, I said, so long time, so many people, so the system of work, plus departments, between the product itself there is a certain degree of uncoordinated, if true, no matter what, will be a big problem, I believe that your research and development and market are often fighting?

Zhou: Hey.

Me: So, "let someone else do it" means that the executive level work is done by the business unit because they can do it professionally, and for product managers at this stage, there are only three things to do:

1) Direction Guide;

2 process management;

3) Work instruction.

The first thing is that all business units should be in accordance with the development of products developed plans to do, but in the real work, deviation or even wrong situation has occurred, so the product manager first to ensure that the team work in the right direction.

It's about telling your team what to do.

The second thing is that the product manager has to monitor the process of the work, but you will say that the process is so long, is it everywhere, always have to monitor it? Of course, the product manager in this work basic work mentality is "two cards, protect the middle".

What does that mean, the product manager only needs to put each link of the entrance and export control is OK, this is "card two", to achieve the process as long as the guarantee is in accordance with the established norms and procedures to do it, this is "protect middle".

As for how the business team is implemented, the product manager does not need to intervene too much, because the product manager is "result oriented" in this job.

This is about telling your team how to do it.

The third thing that many people may misunderstand is that the work instruction is to dictate the work of the business team, where the work instruction refers to the impact of the transaction that affects the development of the product.

Of course, this guidance is usually not "power", but by process norms and personal impact to complete, therefore, the effectiveness of the good or bad depends largely on the enterprise process, norms and implementation of the maturity or not.

It's about telling your team to "do it right".

This is the tactical execution of the product manager, which actually has a double meaning.

For a business team, the work of the product manager is instructive and directional, and for the senior level, it is a strategic solution that is implemented at the business level.

We often say that product managers are one of the most realistic and valuable middle-level positions, and the fundamental reason is that this position assumes a double responsibility for business management and marketing management.

Zhou: I get the general idea of business management, but what's the relationship between product managers and marketing management?

I: This is more to say, not to talk about this today, if we have the opportunity to discuss.

In fact, I this is the first hanging Zhou appetite, that is, storytelling in the "and listen to decomposition," to let him have enough curiosity, so he will have enough for you mysterious, haha!

Zhou: OK, let's go on. After listening to your introduction, I also generally understand the product manager to do something, I put my ideas to say, see if this means AH.

The product manager is actually a position that spans not only the functional but also the business sector.

The product manager's work is mainly the strategy development, product planning, tactical implementation, these work in fact constitute a product from scratch to the complete process, for the business unit, this is the product realization process, and for enterprises, this is the process of business operation, therefore, the product manager should not belong to a simple management post , but also does not belong to the pure marketing hillock, but has the characteristic one post.

What does this post belong to? Bubble, what do you think?

Do not lose is to do technical origin, understanding ability and logical thinking ability is strong, summed up well, give 80 points, awareness is a foundation, can realize that the role of Product Manager This position is a great progress, especially for a technical transformation of practitioners. But from my experience, practice is really challenging, and the last company I left was a product management practice that died halfway through.

I hope this company will not let me repeat it.

Me: Oh, you forget, I once said, what the product manager is called is not important, it is important that this group is responsible for a product manager's fundamental responsibilities.

Similarly, it is not important for a product manager to be defined as a post, the key is to see whether the company really put the product manager placed in the position, whether to provide the product manager to display their talent platform, of course, the most crucial point is whether the enterprise from the overall real awareness of the value of the product manager.

Zhou:???

Me:??? What do you mean?

Zhou: You didn't tell me this in the morning?

This time I suddenly remembered, these words is I in the first interview when to Guo Sister said, Zhou of course do not know, failure, failure, very good dish is coming out of the pot, the results found no salt.

I (quickly conceal): old, old, this is me and HR said, hehe!

Zhou: That's okay, now I don't know. You have a point, it seems that our product department is not so simple as I think.

Me: How do you know the product department?

Zhou: I think nothing but is to do some product planning, user analysis, demand analysis, product design, research and development follow-up, coordination of resources, coupled with a number of transactional work.

Me: Nothing, this kind of understanding is very normal at present, almost all enterprises in the understanding of a management thought are at the operational level, often with specific content to determine whether a thought is valuable, as the building of automobiles, "can build cars" and "can build cars" but completely different two levels, The former essentially emphasizes the ability of pipelining and worker proficiency, while the latter emphasizes the ability to develop cars.

If a company's understanding of a management idea is only to stay in the "life-saving straw, no change" of the understanding, then, this enterprise will not happen sooner or later.

Zhou: What should I know?

Me: Very simple, a management thought should be "engine", its value lies in can let current enterprise run faster and better.

Zhou: Incisive!!!

I thought to myself, this is called the incisive, is really the very highly-studied Ah bubble.

Me: That, manager Zhou, today is also not early, I will not delay you rest, morning and now is the second-round exam is over, when will you be able to give me the news?

Zhou: I think I need you to be a person who understands product management to help me, next Monday, oh, or next Tuesday, I will inform HR tomorrow, we are ready, I put the technical department of work handover, you also good preparation, product department just started, if according to you say, the work must not, These days you also think about how to set up our product department, Tuesday came, let's touch.

Is there anything else you want to say?

I really doubt that he is not pretending to understand, a week ran two, evening also talked about so much, the next Tuesday let me into the post, the substance of the content did not talk about want to withdraw, you have to consider how many Bang ah bubble?

I: Manager Zhou, I am very happy to be a member of our company, through today's communication, I believe you also compare (in fact, I want to play "very", later a think, or modest some good) recognition of my ability, I just want to make sure that our company for product manager's salary treatment is HR said?

After a few seconds ...

Zhou: This I really do not know, tomorrow I ask HR, OK I let them inform you, this you do not worry, our company's salary is not the highest in the industry, but I think it is the medium bias. Any questions?

I: Manager Zhou, no, then I will wait for HR phone tomorrow. Thank you. Down.

Zhou: 88!

Not worried? Stop it, now the company "open source" has not learned how much, "throttling" There are many ways, the first is to throttle the wages of employees, anyway, I was thinking well, if tomorrow give me the treatment can not meet my 1 times a month leopard buffet, 2 times kart, 4 times in the suburbs, 8 times star United States, 16 times large stalls, 32 times the level of entrance breakfast stand, I will resolutely refuse yo.

But how do I say to Zhou, my impression of him is quite good, whether or not, he will think I am a ambition, money first person? Tube him, a two-way choice, each have freedom, the right to go, not appropriate to go, who can still put me how, but I really want to go, after all, good luck, But......

Thinking about it, I fell asleep.

I didn't even have dinner.

Apao Dour:

Let's be realistic, as a product manager for a Chinese enterprise, more work is actually done in the "do" work mentioned in the previous question.

You do not have the sentiment, the fact is so, the Eyoung has been this kind of situation, estimate if went to the place, also and now similar, but of course still hope to change.

The so-called product strategy, product planning, although the bubble knows how to do, but in reality, but almost no practice, I think most of the friends do not expect to write a business plan, business requirements and other documents such as the strategy, planning inseparable documents.

We contact the most daily or MRD, PRD, if it industry, may be the most PRD, and some PRD more refined, called FRD, but anyway, all are tactical work, you do not want to admit.

You see, Zhou is more concerned about this, it took me half a night to put these work to him clearly, QQ is so, small talk can, but to discuss some serious things will not.

In fact, the tactical activities summed up is also very simple, three jobs:

1) Direction Guide;

2 process management;

3) Work instruction.

In the tactical activities, the early work mainly by the product manager fencing, direction, must be in front of the direction set, and then the next is the business team to do, we are mainly engaged in, that is, process management and work guidance.

Maybe some friends will be depressed, this is what ah, in fact, I can do more Ah!

A bubble still want to say a word with everyone, first heart-to-heart tactical activities to consider a higher level of work, the brain is actually more difficult than to do, want to do business think-tank, it takes time.

This article extracts from "Yes! product Manager" a book, this is a combination of management, tools and career novel characteristics of the book, the author is the domestic Product manager consulting Industry the most powerful team.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to product management in the form of workplace novels. Product Manager-related knowledge, all the questions and answers are placed in the design of the 101 scenarios, and each episode also has a corresponding relationship between the reader can from the specific plot to not only understand the product management of the complete knowledge, And can deeply feel a product manager's real working condition, from the knowledge point, involves the basic theory, the tool method and the enterprise implementation, from the target reader, involves the individual and the enterprise. The reader can not only understand the complete knowledge of product management from the specific plot trend, but also can deeply feel the real working condition of a product manager.