There are certain skills that every good product manager needs to have in their toolbelt. Some people can go very far with only a few of these skills perfected, but only the best of the beset product managers will be able to say they have all of these skills mastered – which ones have you worked on?
Big Picture Thinking
Product managers need to be able to see opportunities that involve everything – even outside of what you control. Market disruption is a holy grail of every business, and being able to create your own opportunities is something only the best can manage.
Communication
Making the case for your projects and products is essential to the work that a product manager does. Being able to effectively communicate the need for a product requires you to se data, of course, but also requires you to understand who you are talking to and how to show the value in a product.
Simplify
Too complicated of a project results in an inferior product – keeping it simple and straightforward cuts down on waste, time, and opportunities for mistakes.
Prioritize
Knowing how to prioritize a project allows you to allocate resources efficiently, and can keep even the most harrowing project on track. This is particularly important when developing your business – are you growing, or cutting the fat?
Execution
Finishing a project is something that often becomes a delicate procedure. Towards the end, you might want to just ship it out – but risk missing mistakes. On the other hand, if you spend too long perfecting, you’ll go over budget and could be wasting time.
Understand Design
Designers are given their job for a reason, but product managers should be able to provide some back-and-forth with designers. As a lead on a project, PMs should be able to distinguish and describe where a design may have issues.
These are not the only skills needed, but these are the most essential skills in product management. If you’re interested in taking your career to the next stage, you should take the time to really examine and question yourself to see where your weaknesses lie – and where you excel.