Stories: Top 5 Skills for Effective Product Operations Management
I have navigated through a labyrinth of anti-patterns in the product operations space. In reflecting upon my blog post “Top 5 Skills for Effective Product Operations Management,” after some great feedback (Thanks, Kelli!) I find it beneficial to share some of my stories — tales of growth, struggle, and learning — which I will expand over time.
First on the list ‘Strategic Vision and Planning.’
My journey has taught me that the path of strategy is not always linear. I remember when a meticulously designed strategic plan for a new product launch came face to face with changing dynamics. Our rigid plan was like holding onto an anchor, threatening to pull us under. The recognition of this anti-pattern eventually led us to adapt, to let go of rigidity and dance with change, realigning our strategy to the new rhythm.
I am not specific about the changing dynamics as this has shown up in many ways, driven by things like; HIPPO (the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion), an urgent culture (command and control depicted as agile), and company change of direction (cough cost reduction cough).
It is better to plan for plans to change — I live by this now. Things may be similar, no 2 things are exactly the same, and we can’t stay stagnant and expect to adapt to the overwhelming amount of factors in business, especially in product.
The similarity between these things: people. This brings us to…
‘Cross-Functional Collaboration.’
We can all recall a time when the different teams within the organization operated like islands, disconnected and protective of their individual territories. It was a tug-of-war where everybody lost, leading to miscommunication and inefficiency. The silver lining of this seemingly grim narrative was the realization that our strength lied in unity.
This realization took many conversations for teams to remember our mission: build great products that customers love. For example, a customer doesn’t care if a request is a bug or a new feature — they care that their experience matches the value proposition they bought in for.
We broke down the silos, creating bridges of collaboration and empathy, turning the tide in our favor. This took time and consistency — where operational minds thrive in building cadences and structure to drive toward aligned goals. If this means establishing a goal-setting framework with leadership — do it.
If this means supporting ground teams in understanding the why behind the goals that have been set — do it.
If this means being radically candid and calling out leaders pretending to align but executing in opposition — do it!!! The product operations team has a fantastic viewpoint to do these things.
In the realm of ‘Data-Driven Decision Making,’
one of the most impactful lessons came from both sides of the coin — too much & too little.
Too many slices of data become noise. Too little focus on data will have teams flailing and more susceptible to the squeaky wheel (challenging to manage when strategic vision is overly fluid and unaligned). The voice of customers and the team’s sentiment must be balanced qualitatively and quantitatively.
In a new organization, work at refining a handful of core measures at these levels first: Key Results (boolean to Objectives) KPIs (monitored to determine when action is required). Claire Hawthorn did a great talk at the 2023 Product Operations Summit in NYC about workshopping for establishing these for her team. Something similar should be done for the product organization or broader R&D organization, as I have seen in my experience.
Keep it tight and expand only if needed. I usually work with the “1 in, 1 out” rule — too many distractions when driving can be distracting when all you need to know is: Are you going in the right direction? Is there a turn coming up? How fast are you going? Are you close to out of gas? Are you hearing any sounds that may require you to do something fast? Establish how and when data is discussed to keep focus and pivot as needed.
Next, ‘Process Optimization.’
I remember an episode where we were enamored with a new tool that promised to optimize our workflows. However, its introduction was a plot twist that disrupted more than it benefited, taking the team’s focus away from essential tasks and onto the new system’s learning curve. This was a stark lesson that any change must be assessed thoroughly, not just for potential benefits but also for its cost.
The tool will remain nameless. Stay true to focused requirements given your team’s scale and what you need visibility into. Does a small team need Jira? Should a roadmap be inclusive of every task a SWE touches?
Lastly, under ‘Leadership and People Management,’
the plot thickened around the classic anti-pattern of micromanagement. Once, a manager meant to lead and inspire began controlling every minor task, casting a shadow over the team’s creativity and morale. It felt like a winter of discontent, but spring wasn’t far behind. We discovered that effective leadership was not about micromanaging but trusting and empowering.
I was lucky to have leaders that helped provide a barrier, allowing for as much of a transformational shift in leadership style as they could, rejuvenating the team. This is another case where product operations may not own solving this problem, but will have great insight to share with the broader leadership team for the difficult task of influencing change.
Side note, for many folks growing product operations teams from 1 to many — remember you are no longer alone. Delegating is critical for your work balance, your team’s growth, and the business’s return.
Looking back, these stories shape the essence of my journey in product operations management. Each one serves as a chapter where the protagonists — my teams and myself — embrace the conflict, rise through challenges, and evolve. We grow not only by strengthening our skills but also by recognizing and learning from our anti-patterns. After all, the path to mastery is not a straight line — it’s a compelling narrative filled with plot twists, climaxes, and triumphant resolutions.