What do you do if your boss doubts your product management abilities?

As product managers, we must develop our active listening skills. This is beneficial in all aspects of life. Use these skills to get a clear understanding of your boss's concerns (hopefully the concern is not about your listening skills). Only through feedback and communication can we employ empathy. Once you are able to empathize with your boss, take the next step by clearly defining the "problem". When the problem is clearly defined and mutually agreeable, you can move on to devising a solution.

I would start by scheduling a face-to-face meeting to understand their concerns. I would clarify expectations and align on success and acceptance criteria. I would also acknowledge weaknesses and outline steps for improvement to convince my boss. Finally, I would seek support and resources as needed while focusing on building trust through consistent results.

If my boss doubts my product management abilities, I would take proactive steps to address their concerns. First, I would request a meeting to discuss their specific doubts and seek constructive feedback on areas needing improvement. Then, I would outline my past successes and accomplishments in product management, demonstrating my capabilities. Additionally, I would express my willingness to undergo additional training or mentorship to enhance my skills further. Finally, I would work diligently to address any identified weaknesses and consistently communicate my progress to rebuild trust and confidence in my abilities.

When your boss knows that you are willing to improve by consistently seeking feedback on any completed task you were assigned to do, then he will begin to trust your capabilities. Most often, you shouldn't expect the feedback to be positive all the time but expect the other way too and try not to justify yourself but rather use that as an avenue to improve on yourself by really doing what he expect of you. After you have done that, reconfirm if you were able to do the task right or would require additional effort. By so doing, he would stop doubting your capabilities as a PM.

It's absolutely critical to understand your gaps - as perceived by your boss. There is no room for guessing and assumptions here. So, ask all the questions you need and clarify as much as necessary. Be transparent about your desire to deeply understand their point of view. Repeat back, in your own words, what you're hearing. Write it all down. Reflect on it deeply. Be prepared to hear things that are uncomfortable and be open to this feedback. There probably wont be second chances here - you're building trust and what you do with this information once you have it is everything.

If you identify knowledge or skill gaps, think about looking for mentorship or further training to bridge these gaps. Honest self-reflection is a vital mechanism for personal development, paving the way for substantial enhancements in your professional skills.

Reflection is a superpower that everyone can develop. This skill is vital for sustained career growth as well as for correcting missteps. Sometimes you'll have a skill gap or maybe a knowledge gap. More often than not, you'll have a routine/system mis-alignment and a new habit to build. Be humble and open and your reflection time will be well spent.

There isnt a faster approach to building the trust your boss have for you as a PM than communication. It is expedient to communite every little step or milestones achieved on a particular task as well as the timeline you mapped out for a particular project. When you do that, it keeps him informed of how organised and diligent you are. Your boss would see you as a PM, he can trust with any task as he will definitely be updated on the way forward which will thus help him to contribute to your effort during the project.

I have faced challenges in communicating progress in the past and have had strong feedback from leadership. What worked for me was having regular 1 on 1 with my manager which ensured I am communicating my vision of the product as well as actively seeking her feedback on it. Communicate any risks or issues that may impact the progress of the product development process and possible mitigation plan. In this case, even failure can be embraced by the leader as she was involved in the experiment and was aware of the dynamics. Demo sessions are a great way to visually captivate your manager and get first hand feedback. In this case, successful product launches will be highly appreciated since the leader was directly involved in the making.

Leveraging your strengths and aligning the majority of your work to your strengths means you'll be happier and more successful in the long run. Everyone needs to build up their weaknesses but building up your strengths is the key. How do you know what your strengths are? You can take an assessment - there are several good ones. Or, just be aware of what work (or aspects of your work) that energizes and excites you. Passion = strengths.

Trust is the basis for strong relationships. Be transparent. Listen intently. Let the other person know your priorities and clearly understand their priorities. Make it clear that achieving your goals at the expense of deprioritizing their goals is not acceptable. Most importantly, say what you are going to do, then do what you have said. Communicate regularly. Sooner than you know it, trust will develop as will the relationship.

The only one way to communicate and showcase what you got is DATA! Numbers justify decisions, actions and outcomes and is your best friend when someone questions you!