As a product manager, you need to work with different stakeholders who have different priorities, expectations, and perspectives. How can you build rapport with them and ensure a smooth collaboration? Here are some strategies that can help you.
The first step to building rapport is to understand what your stakeholders want and why. What are their pain points, challenges, and opportunities? What are their key metrics, objectives, and success criteria? How do they measure value and impact? By asking these questions, you can show genuine interest, empathy, and respect for their needs and goals. You can also align your product vision and roadmap with their expectations and communicate how your product can help them achieve their desired outcomes.
In an organization that values stable growth metrics: 1. Translate all project outcomes, however small, into tangible indirect and direct financial outcomes for all stakeholder's scope. 2. Provide roadmap of change and how that could shift the stakeholder's priority in the future. In organization that values innovation: 1. Provide vision on how the project could bring positive disruptions to their organization 2. Understand their expectation and seek understanding (not necessary approval) to proceed.
The second step to building rapport is to involve your stakeholders early and often in the product development process. Don't wait until the end to present your product or ask for feedback. Instead, invite them to participate in discovery, ideation, validation, and testing sessions. Share your progress, challenges, and learnings regularly. Solicit their input, feedback, and suggestions. By doing this, you can foster trust, transparency, and collaboration. You can also leverage their expertise, insights, and perspectives to improve your product and avoid surprises or conflicts.
Break milestones and deliverables to iterative increments for your stakeholders to provide feedback. This would provide a sense of importance for your stakeholders to continue to support the project.
The third step to building rapport is to manage your stakeholders' expectations and priorities. You can't please everyone or do everything at once. You need to balance the needs and demands of different stakeholders and prioritize the most important and valuable features and tasks. To do this, you need to set clear and realistic expectations and communicate them clearly and consistently. You need to explain the rationale behind your decisions and trade-offs and how they align with the product vision and goals. You need to handle objections, disagreements, and changes gracefully and diplomatically.
The fourth step to building rapport is to appreciate and acknowledge your stakeholders' contributions. You need to recognize and celebrate their achievements, efforts, and support. You need to give them credit, praise, and feedback. You need to express gratitude and appreciation for their collaboration and partnership. By doing this, you can boost their morale, motivation, and loyalty. You can also strengthen your relationship and rapport with them.
The fifth step to building rapport is to adapt to your stakeholders' styles and preferences. You need to understand how they prefer to communicate, work, and interact. Do they like formal or informal communication? Do they prefer emails, calls, or meetings? Do they want detailed or concise information? Do they like data or stories? Do they respond well to logic or emotion? By adapting to their styles and preferences, you can tailor your approach and message to suit their needs and expectations. You can also avoid misunderstandings, frustrations, and conflicts.
The sixth step to building rapport is to learn from your stakeholders' feedback and improve. You need to listen actively, openly, and respectfully to their feedback. You need to ask questions, clarify doubts, and address concerns. You need to acknowledge mistakes, apologize for errors, and take corrective actions. You need to show that you value their feedback and use it to improve your product and processes. By doing this, you can demonstrate your commitment, accountability, and professionalism. You can also enhance your credibility, reputation, and rapport with them.