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Cópia de Effective onboarding for PMs
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Effective
Prezi presentation adapted from content by Alex Valaitis; original available at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effective-onboarding-pms-alex-valaitis/
onboarding for PMs
Onboarding
The onboarding phase of a new job has an inordinate effect on one’s overall success at a company.
Why onboarding is important for Product Managers
The start
During this time period, one has the ability to learn and do things that she might not be able to do at a later point in time.
It’s also the time that relationships and habits are created, two things that are extremely difficult to mold after they have been established.
Onboarding period
Atendimento as Urgências
e Emergências clínicas
Abstract responsibilities
A PM’s onboarding experience is different in three ways.
Product managers tend to have more abstract role descriptions than other functions.
Product managers can see greater variations in how they operate between roles.
Variations and results
The onboarding phase is the time when a product manager must figure out what makes this particular product role unique, and how to change his day-to-day operations as a result.
Variations and results
The Product Manager’s role is more dependent on interpersonal relationships than most functions.
They are the connective tissue that sits between other functions, and any breaks in this tissue will have a negative cascading effect.
Second aspect
Relationships
Because relationships tend to be defined by early interactions, a Product Manager needs to make sure she gets them right during the onboarding phase.
Result
If she can build solid relationships, a PM can have a multiplier effect on her team, while bad relationships can turn them into a diminisher.
Result
Add value
PMs are expected to add value over the long-term horizon. If PMs were to stop coming into work, teams wouldn’t notice much change for the first few days or even weeks.
Third aspect
This stands in stark contrast to the role of DevOps/SREs, who are necessary to keep a product running every day.
However, over the long term, the consequences of not having PMs would be drastic as they are often the recommender or decider on key product decisions.
Role
Effect
These decisions can have an exponential effect on both the product and the business.
As a result, a PM is better off taking their onboarding slowly and getting it right, rather than trying to jump in and create value immediately.
Effect
Effective onboarding is very important. However, most people don’t know how to do it. It’s hard to cater advice to every PM, but frameworks can be extremely helpful.
One of the frameworks is the
“3 Ps of Onboarding.” They stand for: Product, Process, People.
The 3 P’s of onboarding
The 3 P's
Product Guru
No person should have a better end-to-end understanding of the product than the Product Manager(s).
Depending on the size and stage of the product you are working on, it may take more time to get a deep understanding of the product.
Here are a few specific action items recommended:
Product: "Become the Product Guru"
Download, sign-up,or register for your product.
Download
Download
Go through an initial FTU on each platform. It is extremely important that you document your thoughts at each stage.
Remember, you only get to look at a product with completely fresh eyes once.
Document
Document
Login
If there are multiple types of roles on your product, make sure to log in into the product under each one.
Login
Research
Do research on competitive products. Take notes about what you like or dislike about them.
Research
Understand your product’s core value proposition(s) and purpose. You should be able to pitch it to anyone in your target market and get them to download, buy, or use it.
Core values
Core values
Set up a system that allows you to use the product every day.
System
System
History
Learn the product history and how it has changed over time. This is important for established products so you don’t repeat past mistakes.
History
Learn the product
Learning the product should be an ongoing activity. It takes a lot of time and effort to have a mastery understanding of any product.
If you don’t learn the product, no one else will learn it either.
Learn the product
Once you have a solid understanding of the product, you’re eventually going to want to improve it. The way to do this is through effective processes.
Process: "Get Sh*t Done"
Process
Here are some of the action items you can take to get ramped up around processes.
Document all current ongoing meetings. Attend each type of meeting and work with the meeting organizer to determine the overall purpose of each meeting.
Action items
Determine which existing meetings should be cut and if any need to be added.
For remaining meetings, determine which meetings you should own.
Take ownership by setting up the calendar invite and determine the audience (attendees required vs. attendees optional).
Meeting ownership
Communication
In the beginning, you should over communicate. Send out a weekly update for your product area to the appropriate audience.
When you first transition into the role, copy your manager on most things. Once trust is built, you can dial your communications back.
Communication
Notes
Start each meeting with the statement “This meeting will be successful if…” Take notes during the meeting (or delegate), immediately send out notes after meeting to attendees.
Notes
Know your organization’s calendar. Understand when quarters begin and end, release cycle dates, code freeze periods, etc.
Calendar
Calendar
People
There are two types of relationships, internal versus external.
The most important aspect of onboarding is relationships. A PM will only be successful if they can help people around them succeed.
This includes not only the people inside of their company but also externally, such as end-users and customers.
People:
"Relationships Matter"
Internal relationships
Have your manager whiteboard the organization. Go deep on this request and ask them to give personalities & backgrounds when possible.
Whiteboard
Also, figure out the RAPID roles for different types of decisions.
Whiteboard
Get to know your functional partners well. This includes Design, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, etc.
How do they work?
What motivates them?
What do they do for fun?
Partners
You’re spending
over 50%
of your waking hours with these people
— they shouldn’t
be strangers!
Partners
External relationships
External
Conduct many customer
& end-user interviews.
This will enable you to make better product decisions while allowing you to gain a deep sense of user empathy.
Interviews
This new empathy will help you tap into their pain points, determine what they like about the product, and understand how the product can be improved.
Interviews
Reach out to past leaders or founders. They have a ton of helpful historical context and will give you helpful and unfiltered feedback you may not get internally.
Reach out
Reach out
Connection
These steps may seem unnecessary to some, but people are the most important part of any job.
Over time you will inevitably have conflicts with different people and may not always see eye-to-eye, but early on if you can establish a sense of connection, it makes it a lot easier to work with someone even through tough times.
Connection
30-60-90
There will be dozens of other fire drills and distractions that come up when you first start a new role.
Be sure to include tools that can help you actually accomplish all the important aspects of onboarding for a 30–60–90-day plan. In order to create this plan, take the following steps:
Creating a 30–60–90 day plan
List out ALL of the tasks you need to accomplish. Be as specific as possible, right up to listing out every single 1:1 or interview you want to have.
List tasks
List tasks
Themes
Create a theme for each block of time. The themes can be:
Days 1–30: ‘Be a sponge,’
Days 31–60: ‘Be a contributor’
Days 61–90: ‘Become a leader.’
Themes
Mapping tasks
Map your tasks to your themes. For example, your first 30 days should optimize for learning the product and forming relationships. Prioritize tasks that support this effort.
Mapping tasks
Have your manager review and approve your 30–60–90-day plan. Be sure to review your progress every week.
Review
Review
Share
Share your onboarding plan with the other functional leads to set expectations for how you will be spending your time in the first few months. They will thank you for getting this right!