When Product Management function grows big enough it makes sense to start standardizing the processes and formalize management practices. This includes developing processes and tools, organization and management, team capabilities, attitudes and ways of working. Following figure illustrates these areas.
Standardizing Product Management processes such as feature screening and decision making, release definition or product lifecycle management can help to make work more effective and share the accumulated knowledge from the more experienced members to the product management team newcomers. Identifying the Product Management tasks also help to communicate and align the role and expectations of the Product Management function to other people in interfacing functions.
Capability development helps to ensure that the Product Management team is prepared to handle the given tasks. This is also essential to align team personal goals with the organization ambitions and to keep the individual members of the team motivated by identifying individual development areas.
Organization & management means developing sufficient management practices (enough, but not over complicated) to ensure alignment and visibility within the team and between the product management function and other functions.
Above mentioned processes and practices are best to develop interactively and continuously. New ways of working should be commonly brainstormed, tested and either adopted further developed or abandoned. Level of formality in the processes should always be aligned with the needs of each organization.
If you want to hear more, please do not hesitate to contact.
Timo Siponen