4 SUGGESTIONS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS TO INCULCATE LEADERSHIP SKILLS

The world is divided into two types of major industry giants. These are the product-based firms and the service providing firms. These two are the industry giants on whose diktat the industry revolves. Being a part of any product manufacturing firm can be really a dream come true job. How do these manufacturing giants rule the world? Well, it is not about the company or the product but the vision behind the product that helps them to create a huge impact.

The consumer is and always will be the king of the market. To satisfy your customer you need to provide him with an excellent product which can do justice with the needs of the market and the consumer. To develop such type of products, you need a coherent team. A team that consists of great engineers, marketing specialist, designers, curators, technicians, analysts and a manager who creates such products. It is not the product which conquers the market but the vision and determination of the people who are associated with the creation of that product.

There are top product design colleges in India which emphasize producing excellent product managers in the field. The job of a product manager is to create a team of hardworking enthusiasts who are committed to accomplishing their responsibilities. Moreover, the job does not only require a bridge between the needs of the client and the manufacturer but as a leader, he or she has to do the job. The top product design colleges focus on building a new breed of such managers. These product managers are working with a team of dynamic professionals who are industry leaders of their respective fields. The job of the product manager is to make the team members work not as individuals, but, as an integral element of a common structure.

The answer to every individual’s query is how does it happen? It is not the effort but the sheer hard work and leadership skills that help the managers to excel. The use of various individuals for a common goal is not an easy task. When you have to comply with the demands of clients and also have to take into account the various hurdles faced by your colleagues, it becomes an entangled mesh. The answer to all the ‘how’ & ‘why’ is simple and not related to rocket science. Few suggestions which can help product managers to grow:

1. First is Vision
Before you can proceed to move with an idea or project you have to first understand the need of the client. You cannot simply jump on to understand the problems faced by your colleagues if you do not understand the product requirements. There are some very unrealistic or difficult demands which can make you bemused. It is the job of an efficient product manager to handle the demands of client peacefully. You have to discuss the feasibility of the idea with your team and then present it to the client. You should be clear about the objectives of your team.

2. Getting to Know
A good product manager is a person who knows all the talents of his or her team members. It is evident that to take out 100% productivity of an individual you have to put in 110% of your own. If you are already clear with the potential of your team members then you can categorically translate them into successful endeavors. A manager should also work to make the team members gel with each other and bring harmonious culture at work. This will help the team to work coherently and diminish any type of personal rifts or skirmishes within the team.

3. Share the Vision
The motivation of working on a product is important but sharing the vision is also important. An effective product manager has to first understand the vision of the client. How does the client pursue the vision for the product? Then he or she should be able to communicate the same idea with his or her fellow members. Making them realize or sharing the same vision will help him to easily work on the product.

4. Communication
The product development team works on certain levels to reduce the problem. The product development team works on both the tactical and strategic needs and does not wait for a situation to change into crisis. The team proactively takes up efforts to diminish the chances of error and thus take weekly updates over the development cycle. Every product team follows a development cycle where a product is divided into phases and work is monitored at fixed intervals. This work is divided into small teams and therefore proper communication channel is put up to check the progress reports. Ensuring proper communication helps to identify any types of problems easily identify to eliminate it with ease.