This third article explores another challenge for Product Management and product design: projecting stakeholder issues over various time horizons. This series of articles illustrates that the talents of Product Management are diverse and rare to bring together.
Our first article dealt with the scope of Product Management's skills in creating strong product value, and contributing to the company's sustainability and growth. The Product Manager develops a global vision with a sensitive understanding of the "details" that make the difference for the user.
A second article showed that the Product Manager structures stakeholder involvement and anticipates the product lifecycle, integrating costs beyond the build, to maximize ROI.
This article illustrates the difficulty of building a product roadmap that takes into account the specific short-, medium- and long-term issues of stakeholders.
Create a strong dynamic around the product
As we have seen, the Product Manager develops scenarios despite a sometimes uncertain or shifting basis. However, he must mobilize stakeholders sufficiently, and early enough, but without over-dimensioning this solicitation.
The Product Manager must create a strong, lasting product dynamic at every useful stage (from product definition to deployment).
Decline the hypotheses for the various stakeholders
Stakeholder issues are complex to grasp, as they may evolve differently over different time horizons. The various medium- and long-term scenarios are based on uncertain or shifting assumptions, creating a high degree of systemic complexity.
The Product Manager needs to identify potential medium- or long-term developments, and how these may impact stakeholders' interests or constraints in different ways.
The Product Manager must also take into account :
- the specific needs and limitations of each stakeholder. For example, constraints linked to your department, your current situation, your agenda, your needs, your fears...
- and the needs and constraints of the Product. For example: a Product objective that involves a break in business habits, a major time milestone, etc.).
Reconciling uncertainty with the need for visibility and commitment
The Product Manager has to launch new avenues, whatever the degree of certainty, while preserving margins for reorientation. But he must also manage the legitimate need of stakeholders for projections, and even commitments!
The Product Manager has to reconcile open-ended projections with a talent for balancing, avoiding freezing certain elements in commitment.
It must share the uncertainty, without losing or discouraging stakeholders who want a clear, easy-to-understand answer. It must be open to potential future arbitrations, without demotivating or disappointing stakeholders.
In short, it's a question of clearly sharing the Product axes without committing to areas subject to potential changes.
While it is necessary to "freeze" product choices as they are made, the Product Manager must retain the ability to undo them when critical elements arise during the course of the project. This requires courage and the ability to explain the necessary revisions without demotivating the teams.
Anticipating and projecting stakeholder involvement is hard work!
Stakeholder involvement needs to be considered for each structuring issue, with potential adaptations for certain stakeholders.
This activity must be adapted to each structuring issue, and tailored to the specific needs of each stakeholder.
In addition to the dependencies between product functionalities, other parameters may need to be considered: the balance of power between players, convergences or inimities between stakeholders, etc.
Experts (design thinking, event storming...) can lead the design and organization of workshops with the business units. In this case, the Product Manager needs to take sufficient ownership of the process to remain an active player, and not simply delegate this service.
Product Management requires a mix of technical, analytical and interpersonal skills, with rare qualities such as adaptability and pedagogy. These talents, even when combined in a single person, usually require specific support and coaching.
And in your company, do Product Managers receive support to help them better understand stakeholder issues?
Do they have access to training to learn how to project these issues over the short, medium and long term? Do they have the support they need to navigate this complexity and succeed in their role?
Investing in Product Management, by training and supporting these professionals, is therefore an asset for any organization wishing to remain competitive.
