Use focus to build the right thing
Previously, I discussed how empathy is an essential skill for product managers that nurtures product managers to listen and get invaluable insights from customers.
Focus is another essential skill that helps product managers to be effective. Whether building a product strategy, prioritizing features, or leading a team in building products that customers love, focus helps product managers bring balance and alignment.
Focus is about paying attention to the right things.
noun: focus; plural noun: foci; plural noun: focuses
an act of concentrating interest or activity on something.
"our focus on the customer's requirements"
verb: focus; 3rd person present: focuses; past tense: focused; past participle: focused;
pay particular attention to.
"the study will focus on a number of areas in Wales"
concentrate.
"an opportunity to focus research on the health needs of the population"
As product managers become effective, focus helps drive the following benefits:
Focus helps you say NO
Saying NO is hard.
Product Managers have to deal with this dilemma every day. However, saying NO becomes easier if you are focused. Suppose you, as a product manager, are focused on the strategy, vision, and goals. In that case, you can articulate any given problem back to those strategies, vision, and plans, which helps your team and even stakeholders align and acknowledge your discussion points.
Focus helps you be outcome driven
Great product managers drive outcomes, not outputs. Outcomes answer some of the essential questions, such as, but not limited to:
How is the product helping customers?
How do customers feel about using the product?
What do customers get using the product?
In essence, Outcomes are all about the right thing to build.
Being focused on the customers and problem space will help product managers be outcome-driven.
Here is a great book to learn more about outcomes:
Outcomes Over Output: Why customer behavior is the key metric for business success
Focus helps you move forward
As the team works towards building the right product, product managers must define the problem space, the problem-market fit, and the opportunity to drive success. Being focused helps product managers to bring clarity, drive energy, propose and discuss the right things.
Thus, focus helps product managers move forward.
Along with empathy, focus becomes another great asset for product managers. If practiced rigorously, focus can drive great success for both the team and the business.