Product managers have to juggle multiple tasks, stakeholders, and deadlines in their daily work. Staying organized is not only a matter of efficiency, but also of sanity and satisfaction. In this article, we will share some effective ways for product managers to stay organized and achieve a better work-life balance.
One of the key skills of a product manager is to prioritize what matters most and what can wait or be delegated. A simple way to do this is to use the Eisenhower matrix , which divides your tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. You should focus on the tasks that are both urgent and important, plan ahead for the tasks that are important but not urgent, delegate or automate the tasks that are urgent but not important, and eliminate or minimize the tasks that are neither urgent nor important.
Another way of prioritisation can be to use the Must Have, Should Have, Could Have and Not Have framework. This is a very used framework to ensure that the fundamental objectives of the project is covered. It also aids in decision making and managing expectations.
As you are building your roadmap and budgets, prioritization is key. Any project included needs to be aligned with the mission and long-term vision of the company. I use the Keep, Stop, Start methodology. Concentrate on what you need to continue doing, and it's aligned with the vision and objectives. Stop anything that is not in line with your strategic pillars. Start projects that you don't have in the roadmap but are key to delivering on the company's vision.
Eisenhower matrix as a tool for prioritization is a useful framework but it's important to adapt it to your specific role and context. Strengths of the Eisenhower Matrix: ? Simple and visual: The four quadrants provide a clear and easy-to-understand way to categorize tasks. ? Focuses on urgency and importance: Helps you differentiate between tasks that need immediate attention and those that can wait. ?Considerations for product managers: ? Product context matters- The urgency and importance of tasks can vary depending on the product lifecycle, team dynamics, and market pressures. Alternative prioritization techniques: MoSCoW method Value vs. Effort Framework Kanban boards
Use a task management application! I personally use Microsoft To Do. I created a list for each of my projects and I add individual tasks to the respective project. I add due dates to those tasks and reminders as well to avoid missing any task. The most important feature is the "My Day" tab. At the beginning of the day, you select the tasks that you want to work on and add them to your day.
Always start with the Customer. What is a Priority for them, what will save them cost, and improve their efficiency. Find out what the Customer is looking to solve, and then work backwards.
A project management tool can help you keep track of your tasks, deadlines, dependencies, and progress. It can also facilitate communication and collaboration with your team and stakeholders. There are many project management tools available, such as Asana, Trello, Jira, or Notion. You should choose one that suits your needs, preferences, and workflow, and stick to it consistently. You should also update your project management tool regularly and use it as a single source of truth for your work.
I completely agree with the idea of utilizing project management tools like jira, notion etc. They provide us with a centralized platform to collaborate with team members, prioritize tasks, and ensure smooth workflow. With these tools, our productivity can significantly increase, leading to better outcomes and successes. However, it is important to strike a balance and ensure effective communication to avoid potential information gaps and over-dependence on the tools.
Using project management tools that support collaboration, calendaring, attendance, and document sharing is essential. So that coordination between project manager, team members and stakeholders can be carried out well. It would be even better if the systems are on the same platform so that work could be carried out more effectively, including coordination between all teams, progress monitoring and reporting. No need to switch applications. So that work can be monitored, well coordinated and completed faster.
Using a project management tool is definitely a game changer. In my experience, I have used Excel sheets as well as project management tools. In my view a combination of both works really well. I like to log and record all my tasks and milestones in a project management tool like Trello, Jira etc and also keep a project management template from Microsoft excel to see the scale and amount of tasks and timelines.
Using a project management tool can also help to track product life cycle, updates, enhancements, dependencies. Roadmaps and evolution.
My team currently uses Notion to as our source of truth when it comes to documentation. It is easy to organize and keep on top of things. It is also very easy to integrate with other CRMs like Hubspot which makes it easier to keep track our users information. I would recommend it to any one looking to grow their business.
Another way to stay organized is to set clear and realistic goals for yourself and your team. Goals can help you align your work with your vision, strategy, and roadmap, and measure your performance and impact. You should use the SMART framework to set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You should also review your goals periodically and adjust them as needed based on feedback, data, and changing circumstances.
SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals provide direction and focus. Break down large goals: Divide big projects into smaller, actionable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Regularly review and adapt: Monitor progress, address roadblocks, and adjust goals as needed.
In reality, we see product managers commiting to all the request from the business users and end up with huge pile of requirements to be delivered in a very narrow deadlines. Best way to set clear and realistic goals is to use both frameworks - MOSCOW and SMART. MOSCOW helps to priotize "must haves", "should haves" over "could haves" and "won't haves". From the "must haves" and "should haves" requirements, product managers can commit to the requirements which best fits to SMART framework. This way the burden to deliver reduces.
Focus your goals on leading indicators instead of lagging indicators. For something like product development, I think it is much more important to track how many on-site customer interviews you've had vs. your plan (a leading indicator) vs. whether or not you hit your launch date commitment (very much a lagging indicator). I highly recommend McChesney et al's "The 4 Disciples of Execution." Career changing book, at least for me.
I wholeheartedly agree on emphasizing realistic goals. While the SMART framework is valuable, the essence lies in constructing a solid business case around each goal. Remaining open-minded and incorporating regular goal reviews is key – it ensures adaptability to changing circumstances, feedback, and evolving data, fostering continuous improvement and alignment with strategic objectives.
Setting clear goals especially on the end intended outcome helps the product manager to build on the strategy required towards execution. The strategy executed is as clear as the goal set. Goals should use a SMART approach such that even if you are not the one implementing the idea, someone else can be able to refer and share in that vision. The strategy, depending on the outcome, can be changed to align with the earlier set goals but goals cannot be changed to align with the strategy. This will help the team to share in the vision, the goals and objectives then help come up with the strategies.
Time management and energy management are equally important for staying organized and productive. You should plan your day and week ahead, and block time for your most important tasks, meetings, and breaks. You should also avoid distractions and interruptions, and focus on one task at a time. Moreover, you should manage your energy by taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. You should eat well, sleep well, exercise regularly, meditate, and have some hobbies and fun.
Prioritization is key to ensuring that you are working on the most important tasks. It’s important to stay focused and avoid distractions
As a product manager, time and energy are critical parameters that must be managed because they may be downplayed but the resultant effect for this is huge not only to the product you are working on but to the business and yourself. A product in motion is one whose the manager is also in a timely constant motion and fully energized all through. To manage your time, one can have a schedule tracker attached to the goal, vision and mission behind the product. This can be done by breaking down the SMART tasks/goals into different timelines/period. One needs to maintain both physical, emotional and mental energy because it is the fuel towards the success of product management.
Effective time and energy management is crucial for Product Managers. Start by monitoring your daily energy levels. Don't expect to always be at your peak. Reflect on your day's activities, identifying which tasks energize you, which ones are neutral, and which ones drain your energy. Over time, try to shift your focus more towards activities that boost your energy and reduce those that deplete it. Being aware of what drains your energy is key to improving both productivity and overall job satisfaction, even amidst the inevitable challenges.
As a Product Manager, I ensure organization and productivity by planning my week every Sunday, defining key tasks and objectives. I also block out specific times for deep work, allowing for focused effort on complex tasks without team interruptions. This practice is crucial for tackling strategic planning and detailed problem-solving. Additionally, I allocate dedicated time slots for calls and meetings with stakeholders, customers, and prospects. These interactions are vital for gathering feedback and aligning with external expectations. Balancing uninterrupted deep work with scheduled communication helps me efficiently manage diverse responsibilities in product management.
In the word of tech it is very easy for your attention to be pulled in different directions because everything feels high priority. By creating a calendar you and keeping to it you stay focused and organized, if you don't already have one then I recommend creating one today.
As a product manager, you cannot do everything by yourself. You need to delegate and collaborate with others who have the skills, expertise, and resources to help you achieve your goals. You should identify the tasks that you can delegate to your team members, peers, or external partners, and provide them with clear expectations, feedback, and support. You should also collaborate with others by sharing your ideas, insights, and challenges, and seeking their input, advice, and feedback.
As a Product Manager, trying to handle everything on your own is a recipe for burnout. Sustainable product development and scaling require effective delegation. Look at your task list and identify which tasks can be delegated. If there are tasks you feel you can't delegate, ask yourself why. Is it a matter of trust or skill gaps in the team? Remember, product management thrives on collaboration. Trusting your team with responsibilities not only lightens your load but also often leads to better outcomes. It’s about playing to each team member's strengths and working together towards a common goal.
1. In effective delegation, team members should be empowered to achieve desired outcomes, not just finishing tasks.A clear definition of desired results will help guide the team as its North Star. This will unleash creativity and ownership from the team to find solutions and build better products. 2. Crowd sourcing of solutions can provide effective solutions most of the time .collective wisdom of the crowd can trump individual brilliance, due to the diverse perspectives and collaboration that will be added to the solutions and products they build
Product Management is the ultimate in delayed gratification. Many of us are logical thinkers and over emphasize our strong suit. Counter-intuitive as it may seem, take some time to identify all the humans that are needed to achieve greatness. Not just mere tasks or problems. I highly recommend Susan Finerty's "Master the Matrix" as a career-changing resource. Wish I had been hip to that material 10 years earlier than I was. It would have helped me succeed on otherwise troubled projects.
I agree, utilising eisenhower matrix can be an interesting way to gauge right segregation of tasks based on priority vs efforts vs impact. Moreover agile methadology, should be adopted as a "thinking system" - to keep gathering feedbacks and collaboration in check.
Finally, you should review and reflect on your work regularly and learn from your successes and failures. You should have a weekly or monthly review session where you evaluate your progress, achievements, and challenges, and identify what worked well and what can be improved. You should also have a daily or weekly reflection session where you acknowledge your accomplishments, appreciate your efforts, and celebrate your wins. You should also take some time to relax, recharge, and reward yourself.
For Product Managers, regular reflection on task is crucial. After the daily flow of tasks, it's important to pause and evaluate your effectiveness. This isn't just a break from work; it's an essential part of it. Improvements in productivity lead to significant long-term benefits. While reflecting, remember to be kind. Acknowledge your progress, the knowledge you've gained, and areas for growth. But also be candid about what could be improved. Scheduling this reflection time is key. Don't risk getting lost in day-to-day tasks without considering their long-term impact.
1. Sprint review is an excellent agile ceremony which helps teams to learn from failures and build better, also capitalise on success. 2. Coupling this with weekly/bi-weekly reviews with team & product owner/stake holders, helps with faster feedback loops and building better products.
Reflection is critical in the work place but too often it is not given because it is viewed as wasting time by micromanagers. The employees need to be able to go over what improvements they can make to increase productivity.
Product managers should also focus on effective communication, setting realistic timelines, and staying updated with industry trends. Adopting flexibility, fostering team collaboration, and balancing short-term goals with long-term vision are essential for success. Ultimately, a structured approach, coupled with the right tools and methodologies, empowers product managers to navigate complexities and drive success.
Tools matter, but tools aren't one size fits all. The more you can support your teammates using whatever tools they do their best work in the better. Be the glue that connects teammates and their work.
Here are a couple of books for product managers looking to boost productivity. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear is a must-read for its focus on impactful small changes. Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" offers timeless principles for personal and professional effectiveness. Lastly, "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg explores the science of habit formation and change, essential for efficient daily routines.
A game changer for me has been to use the Task Feature within Microsoft Teams. Each day, I start by adding tasks I need to accomplish that day and review any “spillovers” from the previous day. Here are a few tips for this hack: 1. List all tasks - big and small (followup with stakeholder to send status update) 2. Review your task list at the end of each day and prioritize the tasks for the following day Regardless of the tool, the best Product Managers are organized because it allows us to be: 1) forward thinking, 2) have a bias for action, and 3) drive clarity and execution.
Product managers can boost productivity by integrating habits from books like "Atomic Habits" and the Ikigai approach, employing techniques such as time blocking, Pomodoro sessions, and batch processing, while also leveraging automation to streamline repetitive tasks.