As we get closer to the start of a new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about business planning. I’m sure many of us have gone through the cycle for Q1 already - preparing goals, roadmaps, and resourcing needs. Crafting our stories around what we want to do, how we’ll do it, and what we need to get it done.
As product managers, we are often put in the driver’s seat on key strategic priorities. Many of us have been there - your team is accountable for success against the #1 company priority in the coming quarter, and you’ll be running the largest or most impactful projects.
This can be intimidating…and a little scary!
Don’t stress…this is just another opportunity to go back to the basics. Remember:
You can’t solve a problem that isn’t well defined
Get as much context as you can from the decision makers of your company’s strategic priorities. Use this as an opportunity to take a first principles approach and make sure you’re looking at the right problems. This might seem elementary, but over time, the sexy strategy can take on a life of its own. If you ask 5 people what it means, you might get 5 slightly different answers.
Storytelling is key
One of the most important parts about your roadmap and your plans to drive the strategy is how they connect. Use this as an opportunity to craft a narrative that communicates what you’ll be doing and how those things will move the needle.
Embrace the phrase: “I don’t know right now but I can find out”
Working on important priorities means a lot of stakeholders and a lot of questions. Teams want to know how they will contribute or be impacted by decisions you’ll make as you drive your roadmap. You won’t know all the answers or all the details immediately, so give yourself some grace when you don’t!
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