Manage-Up! A Guide for Product Builders to Understand and Influence Leadership

Are you a product manager, developer or designer feeling overlooked or unsupported in crucial meetings? Perhaps you're seeking clear guidance on making tough product trade-offs, or your opportunities for professional growth seem just out of reach. In this practical session, Petra Wille, seasoned product leadership coach, addresses these common challenges for individual contributors in the product and design fields. Join Petra as she unveils strategies to effectively "manage up" and ensure that leaders not only hear but actively support your professional needs and development.

This talk will equip you with the tools to confidently seek and receive the backing you need during key meetings, navigate complex decision-making with greater clarity, and actively shape your career path through your interactions with leadership.

Transcript

1. Petra Wille | @loomista A Guide for Product People to Understand and Influence Leadership Petra Wille Manage-Up!
2. Petra Wille | @loomista Managing Up? ? ? Petra Wille
3. Petra Wille | @loomista Org Chart
4. Petra Wille | @loomista Career Ladder
5. Petra Wille | @loomista Think of your boss/ your line manager for a minute
6. Petra Wille | @loomista Petra Wille | Photo: Enver Hirsch I care about this topic because I‘m coaching your boss.
7. Petra Wille | @loomista leaders want to be better bosses Observation from dozens of coaching sessions: they’re not always sure where to start Petra Wille
8. Petra Wille | @loomista They know exactly what they’re doing
9. Petra Wille | @loomista Hell Yes! Should you provide feedback to you boos
10. Petra Wille | @loomista “I’ve grown as a leader because of the feedback I sought. Asking, ‘What can I do differently to support you?’ has brought the best out of me—and my team.” “I used to think recognition wasn’t that important, but after an employee shared how much it boosts morale, I started celebrating team wins more openly. It’s made a noticeable difference in motivation and teamwork.” Heike Funk, Product Lead, IU International University of Applied Sciences Björn Waide, Managing Director, Connox
11. Petra Wille | @loomista “One of my team members pointed out that I was interrupting female colleagues more often than male ones during meetings. I was shocked and honestly ashamed—I had no idea I was doing it. It hit me hard to realize I was unintentionally silencing some voices. I’m so grateful for the feedback. Since then, I’ve been much more intentional about making sure everyone gets equal time to speak.” “One of the transformative moments in my career was receiving candid feedback about my unclear decision- making process. I hadn’t realized it, but once I worked on providing more clarity, the team’s efficiency improved dramatically. Honest input from the team is essential for leaders to grow.” Prefers to stay anonymous Malte Scholz, CEO & CPO, airfocus
12. Petra Wille | @loomista When you offer constructive input, you give your boss the opportunity to improve for the benefit of the entire team. Petra Wille
13. Petra Wille | @loomista Meet Sofia and Erik Two Stories About Managing-Up Challenges Petra Wille
14. Petra Wille | @loomista Foto von Toa Heftiba auf Unsplash I’m overwhelmed by the different priorities Talk to your boss about that! Beer?!?!
15. Petra Wille | @loomista Foto von Ayo Ogunseinde auf Unsplash What to learn next?!?!
16. Petra Wille | @loomista Managing-Up could help! Both start thinkin…. Petra Wille
17. Petra Wille | @loomista Image Credit: Intercom
18. Petra Wille | @loomista Try This / Actions • You struggle to say no to things • You are super busy and need to be a jack of all traits doing too many things in parallel • The stuff you do has low to no impact. • Prioritization and Decision making for you and your team is hard or impossible. • Are you experiencing these symptoms because your boss hasn’t communicated clear goals or a strategic narrative? • Would having better- defined goals help you say no to requests that aren’t aligned with the bigger picture? • Great product strategy but it has not been shared  Encourage sharing the strategy. • If there is no product strategy at all offer help. Help plan how to create a strategy. You could even take on some of the research. • Suggest goals that help measure success/impact. Situation & Symptoms Reflection
19. Petra Wille | @loomista "I’ve noticed we’re getting conflicting requests from different departments. It would help me prioritize if we could clarify the top business goals to align our efforts.“
20. Petra Wille | @loomista • Feel stuck in your current role or even your career? • You haven’t learned something new in ages but struggle to find a topic that deserves your attention • Is there a “definition of good”? • Is there a career ladder you can use to create learning goals? • Are there regular check-ins (1:1s)? • Is your line manager actively coaching you? • Company commitment towards employee development? • Allowed to invest some of your working hours into learning new things? • Help your boss understand why your personal development matters. • Help your boss to talk about their “good,” to hand you the blueprint for the competent product manager you want to become. • Get your boss to allow you to invest some of your time into personal development. Try This / Actions Situation & Symptoms Reflection
21. Petra Wille | @loomista "I’ve been reflecting on where I want to grow in my career. I’d appreciate your guidance on what you see as my next big challenge or any areas where I could further develop."
22. Petra Wille | @loomista If you want to approach your boss with more confidence, consider using a career framework and conduct a self-assessment. Petra Wille
23. Petra Wille | @loomista https://www.petra-wille.com/blog/a-brief-list-of- product-management-assessment-tools-2
24. Petra Wille | @loomista https://www.petra-wille.com/blog/a- lightweight-way-to-create-a- development-plan-for-pms-the- future-self?rq=future%20self
25. Petra Wille | @loomista Things you can expect from your leaders Expanding Beyond Two Key Leadership Needs Petra Wille
26. Petra Wille | @loomista 10 Directional Clarity 9 Development Facilitation 5 Empowerment through Trust and Autonomy 6 Feedback Culture and Recognition 7 Support and Resources 8 Integrity and Ethical Leadership 1 Process Oversight 2 Cultural Advocacy 3 Role Clarity & Ownership 4 Networking Support & Conflict Management Petra Wille
27. Petra Wille | @loomista Integrity and ethical leadership Support and Resources Process oversight Cultural advocacy Role clarity & ownership Feedback culture and recognition Empowerment through trust and autonomy Networking support and conflict management Development facilitation Directional clarity Where does your boss excel? Where could they improve?
28. Petra Wille | @loomista Ask Feedback What—Content How—Detail, Format & Tone
29. Petra Wille | @loomista On the Art of Giving Feedback The WHAT of your message Petra Wille
30. Petra Wille | @loomista Situation Behaviour Impact Suggestion “In our recent team meeting (situation), I noticed that the team was unclear about the product strategy (behavior). As a result, we’ve been struggling to prioritize our work (impact). I think revisiting the strategy together with you in the room would help align our efforts.”
31. Petra Wille | @loomista “In our 1:1s, I’ve noticed that we haven’t discussed my growth path (Situation). Without your input, I feel uncertain about my next steps (Behavior), which is affecting my motivation (Impact). Could we carve out time to focus on my development plan? (Suggestion)”
32. Petra Wille | @loomista If giving Feedback is something you want to learn more about I have recorded a „employee/boss feedback conversation“here Example Conversation https://descriptusercontent.com/published/9cd85d5b-889a- 4769-925b-ee0bf7a63973/original.mp4
33. Petra Wille | @loomista Stay on your side of the net! Photo by Lucas Davies on Unsplash Share what you’ve observed, how it made you feel, and the impact it had on your work
34. Petra Wille | @loomista Books containing tips on how to give feedback
35. Petra Wille | @loomista Tailor your Message to make sure it lands well It’s time for some final adjustments, your HOW Petra Wille
36. Petra Wille | @loomista Understand Executives Power of Tens, Charles and Ray Eames form IMB, 1977 They focus on long-term, strategic goals and high-level objectives, like company success and financials. Petra Wille
37. Petra Wille | @loomista Get to know your boss Get to know them – really get to know them Petra Wille
38. Petra Wille | @loomista ALL-KNOWING INDECISIVE HANDS-OFF INSECURE RISK-AVERSE MICROMANAGER VISIONARY EMPHATIC https://www.petra-wille.com/blog/managing-up-part-5-your-cheat-sheet-and-guide-to-boss-personas
39. Petra Wille | @loomista Get to know your boss Get to know them – really get to know them Build Trust Show Empathy Petra Wille
40. Petra Wille | @loomista
41. Petra Wille | @loomista Choosing the Right Format Petra Wille
42. Petra Wille | @loomista The Research:  https://www.psychologica lscience.org/news/a-face- to-face-request-is-34- times-more-successful- than-an-email.html  https://managementtraini nginstitute.com/face- face-request-way- effective-email/  https://cyberpsychology.e u/article/view/4233/3277
43. Petra Wille | @loomista Summary & Final Thoughts Petra Wille
44. Petra Wille | @loomista Prepare your WHAT Distinguish between making an ask and giving feedback Use feedback frameworks to prepare the conversation Tailor your message – your HOW Understand executives & your boss’s leadership style Aligning your message with their priorities Leaders appreciate feedback, but often don’t receive it. You can make a difference. If things feel “off” use the 10 leadership responsibilities as a starting point. Then note symptoms, reflect on “is it boss related” and think about potential solutions / actions to improve the situation.
45. Petra Wille | @loomista Petra Wille
46. Petra Wille | @loomista Foto von Timothy Dykes auf Unsplash
47. Petra Wille | @loomista A simple request can open the door to better leadership—and a better working environment for you and your team.
48. Petra Wille | @loomista Thanks #strongproductpeople Blog: https://petra-wille.com/blog Slides: https://www.petra-wille.com/talk-managing-up
49. Petra Wille | @loomista Petra Wille | @loomista | petra-wille.com
50. Petra Wille | @loomista Read on…
51. Petra Wille | @loomista The Difficulty of Empathizing Up – Ed Batista
52. Petra Wille | @loomista Learning to 'manage up' effectively is a pivotal skill for professional advancement, a lesson I learned the hard way early in my career. Senior executives operate with a different mindset than folks at the middle and ground levels of the org. They focus on larger, strategic decisions often based on intuition due to the coarse-grained nature of information at their level. To engage successfully, it's crucial to understand their perspective. This involves simplifying your communication, distilling requests into a nutshell, and being tactful in your approach.Asking open-ended questions and actively listening can open doors to their support. Building empathy with their challenges and aligning your requests with their strategic goals enhances the likelihood of gaining their backing. Additionally, it's important to recognize the intricate dynamics within the executive team. Each leader has their own set of alliances and rivalries, which can impact decision-making. Navigating this 'Game of Thrones' requires subtlety and discretion. When seeking support, it's not just about the what, but also the how. Ensure your requests have clear, actionable steps that are easy for executives to act upon. The simpler the action needed from them, the better your chances of success. This strategy not only demonstrates your understanding of their busy schedules but also shows respect for their time and decision- making processes. Mastering these skills can significantly impact your career trajectory, helping you to better navigate the complexities of organizational hierarchies and achieve your professional goals.I coach leaders on these and other executive skills, and I recently offered to coach a small group as we head into 2024. I've have had a few takers for this program and we're about to get started, but I can fit maybe one or two more. So if you're interested in hearing more about it, shoot me a quick note and we'll talk.
53. Petra Wille | @loomista As companies reorganize and reengineer, people are finding themselves tossed into management every day with little to no training or preparation. Literally two books in one, Suddenly in Charge provides all of the tools necessary to be successful at managing up and down the line of any organization.
54. Petra Wille | @loomista The key to moving up? Managing Up! For readers seeking a surefire career- booster or simply looking to improve their relationship with their boss, this is a welcome guide written specifically to provide them with the skills needed to build a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with their boss.
55. Petra Wille | @loomista Why effective leaders must manage up, down, and sideways - McKinsey
56. Petra Wille | @loomista Harvard Business Review: 6 Ways to Take Control of Your Career Development If Your Company Doesn’t Care About It
57. Petra Wille | @loomista Books that help with providing directional clarity
58. Petra Wille | @loomista Books that help with product leadership and people development
59. Petra Wille | @loomista
60. Petra Wille | @loomista
61. Petra Wille | @loomista The Dance Between Getting Managed, Self-Managing, and Managing Up How much is too much? How much is not enough? How to diagnose and fix the imbalance between them? IRINA STANESCU – Read it here Managing Up (Irinas Version): How to Meet The Unspoken Needs of Your Manager and build a symbiotic partnership that benefits both of you IRINA STANESCU – Read it here