9fbtechreview.comDECEMBER - JANUARYorganization forward by introducing some foundational new tech products and features. In summary, there are three key learnings that are applicable to any organization challenged with product prioritization in the tech space:1. Build relationships: getting buy in for your roadmap can be challenging, if not impossible, if you don't have the right advocates and supporters bought in. Understanding your stakeholders early on and quickly building those relationships is a great way to get early advocacy. I have found often those individuals whom tend to be more challenging than others, reframing the business challenge to make it relevant to them or simply taking the extra time to walk them through what your plan is can be impactful. Sometimes the "softer" responsibilities of what product managers should do (e.g. build relationships, be open/collaborative, etc.) you quickly realize are things you have to do. 2. Be transparent on how you prioritize (and remind): I have often found that stakeholders who are not involved in the prioritization process or simply don't understand it, are often the most resistant to change. Setting a clear approach and managing expectations early will obviously help connect the dots with any outliers on the team, and if you are an agile product manager, continuing to mention the iterative nature of what you do is important. Nothing is set in stone. Prioritize first, and if business needs change, simply come back and revisit. If needed, start the process again. 3. Own the process (practice extreme ownership): this takes real leadership, during the good and the bad times of a project. Providing clear and accountable leadership creates trust and confidence among all those involved. It's important to remind your stakeholders that product owns the complexities of prioritization, and we take responsibility for any mishaps along the way. I have found most reasonable stakeholders who fully understand this, tend to be more supportive when difficult tradeoffs have to be made.Building relationships, providing transparency and establishing yourself as the leader and project owner will set the tone for your team and the success of a product. Be practical, transparent, and structured in how you prioritize new product features and the overall work for your team. When people feel involved and included in the journey, it makes those moments when tough decisions need to be made more palatable. Though we generally try to focus on delivering what generates the highest business value, the reality of what eventually gets worked on is a complex web of stakeholder influence, executive intervention, and sound business case with a high level of return on investment
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