How to Mentor and Manage Your Junior Product Managers?
Once you get into a senior product manager role, one of your key responsibilities is to mentor and manage your junior product managers. Not only does this help them develop their skills and expertise, but it also ensures that your team is constantly improving and growing.
I do know this — I believe each person has a unique personality, and we should approach mentoring and managing based on the understanding that there’s no universal truth on how to do it. Having said so, in this article I‘d like to share my experiences and lessons learned. I was also asked recently about this — so I decided to write down my answers.
I must admit — I don’t have the “right” or “complete” answer to the question in the headline. It’s because I’m on a constant journey and still learning how to mentor and manage junior product managers.
Some of the advice you’re about to read might seem trivial at first, and you might be curious about how to implement my advice in your daily routines. With this in mind, I shall explain and provide examples, and I would love your feedback and questions.
Without waiting any longer, here are some points I learned:
Create a ‘tailored for trust’ onboarding
Much of the product work and efficiency is based on trust that the product manager (PM) creates with internal stakeholders and, later on, the customers. Set your PMs up for success by mapping the organization — roles, responsibilities, strengths, and weak points of each department alongside the more “conventional” learning materials regarding the product, etc.
Create a 4-week onboarding schedule. What material he should read, who your PM should talk to, and the objectives of these tasks. Encourage your PM to be highly engaging and work to understand the pain points of the people he will encounter.
I suggest meeting with each junior PM, and go over their potential scripts for their introductions. This will help your PM’s understand the way they should position themselves within the company. Also, recommend to your junior PMs to write down their impressions and takeaways from each of the introductions.
Set clear expectations and goals
The obvious thing to do is to set clear expectations and goals for your PMs. This includes outlining their responsibilities, defining what success looks like, and providing them with a roadmap for achieving their goals.
There is a delicate balance between micromanaging and setting clear expectations. You should not micromanage each task, because you want to cultivate PMs with a sense of independence and a mindset for growth.
Don’t forget that you need to be clear with the junior PMs in regard to your expectations.
Provide regular feedback
In recent years, managing has become a mentor’s game. It’s a very positive shift, for feedback is essential for growth and development.
Provide to your junior product managers constructive feedback regularly, in regard to their performance, highlighting areas where they excel and others where they need to improve.
Make sure to also provide them with specific examples and actionable steps they can take to improve. It’s essential to give feedback on the good and the bad, and be very straight about the learning curve and where you think the PM is currently at.
Encourage learning and experimentation
Product management is a constantly evolving field, and it’s essential to encourage your junior product managers to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.
Please enable them to attend industry events, read industry publications, and experiment with new techniques and strategies.
Foster a culture of collaboration
Collaboration is essential for product management success, and fostering a culture of collaboration within your team is vital.
Encourage your junior product managers to work closely with other team members and provide opportunities for them to collaborate with other departments within the company.
Lead by example
As a senior product manager, you’re a role model for your junior product managers. Lead by example, and demonstrate the skills and behaviors that you want to see in your team members. This includes being proactive, communicating effectively, and being open to feedback and criticism.
Provide opportunities for growth and development
Provide your junior product managers with opportunities for growth and development. This could include attending conferences or training programs, taking on new responsibilities, or leading projects.
Please encourage them to stretch themselves, take on new challenges, and give them the support they need to succeed.
Give them credit
Once you’re no longer an individual contributor (IC), you’re measured on your team’s work, so you should credit the team for their dedication.
I’ve often witnessed independent contractors turn into team leaders. Other times, I’ve witnessed newly appointed team managers struggle to adopt the “credit the team” concept. If you can avoid it, don’t let this situation happen to you. Instead, keep in mind that crediting your junior product managers can build trust and credibility among your team.
There is no universal way to manage junior PMs
Mentoring and managing junior product managers is a crucial responsibility for senior product managers. While there’s no universal truth on how to do it — creating a ‘tailored for trust’ onboarding, setting clear expectations and goals, providing regular feedback, encouraging learning and experimentation, fostering a culture of collaboration, leading by example, and providing opportunities for growth and development are all essential components.
It’s important to remember that as a senior product manager, you’re a role model for your team members, and giving them credit for their work and dedication goes a long way towards building a thriving team. Remember to be patient, adaptable, and always strive for continuous improvement.
Special thanks to Tremis Skeete, Executive Editor at Product Coalition for the valuable input which contributed to the editing of this article.
