The Power of Patience in Product Management

 Repeat, again, and again, and ......again

    I repeat myself constantly as a product manager. Often in one meeting I will say the same thing 3 times. I don't like doing this, but I'm going to let you in on a secret. 

Everyone listens, but not everyone is good at it.

😲 

    Yup, have you noticed that a lot of people wait for any break in the conversation to interject their thoughts? This means they probably aren't listening to you. If you're finding yourself cut off or feeling ignored, this is when you need patience the most as a product manager. Between you and me, I don't do a great job of listening at times either. It's easy to get lost in your own thoughts while others are sharing theirs.

What is patience?

The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Why does a product manager need it?

Product managers have to work with a diverse group of people. Our day can start with a conversation with a senior leader about what is to come in the next 6 months. Then in the next conversation be taken into the details with a developer about a bug and how it needs to be fixed. Regardless of the conversation we always need to listen to extract understanding first. This is not easy.

These mental gymnastics require immense patience. People come to you with problems defined from their perspective, product managers have to digest what is being said, then coach on how it fits in with the broader picture. As this happens it introduces an adjusted perspective of the topic to the other person. This doesn't always get received with excitement. In fact, it often makes the other person uncomfortable. 

We also encounter endless questions about timelines, deadlines, and when the work will be done. These conversations will always be there, it requires patience to create understanding around roadmap adjustments, changes in timing, or delays. These are an inevitable part of the job. 

Imagine a scene where a dad is driving the car for a long road trip and there is a 5 year old in the back of the car asking, "are we there yet?" for the 100th time....... The dad has tired look in his eyes, but he kindly says no while anticipating another round of questions in 2 minutes. That is patience.

How do product managers use it?

It's the product managers job to be comfortable and patient in all of these scenarios. We want to allow the other person, and ourselves the appropriate space to shift perspective.

Change in perspectives takes intentional thought, patience grants the time for thought to happen.

 When we can successfully adjust a perspective we create alignment without damaging our valuable relationships. We can keep going forward with long term success. This aspect of product management is akin leadership.

By expanding our capacity for patience as product managers we increase our ability to influence and understand others. We listen more, talk less, and build longer lasting relationships. We achieve alignment which leads to product success. Patience is the backbone to 2 of the 3 skills key skills for product managers.