What is the key component of being a group product manager? The answer is ensuring that the product has the ability to support the strategy, goals, and objectives of the organization. A product manager is held liable to present a differentiated product among the customers that are designed rightly to meet the needs of the customers and comes with a viable business opportunity. Whether you are a New York Product managers or product manager in any other place, you need to have a certain set of skills to shine in the field of product management. There is no doubt that the product manager is responsible for the management of a product throughout its lifecycle. They also receive assistance from the professionals like developers, engineers, designers, operation experts, project managers, and many more throughout the entire life of the product.
If you are wondering what are the roles and responsibilities of a group product manager, you have come to the right place. Keep reading to satisfy your intellect.
Skills Required To Become a Group Product Manager
Business expertise – Many people are of the notion that the group product manager is the CEO of the product. But this is not exactly true. You need to have the required set of business skills to keep your product at the top.
Leadership skills – Your employees look at you for your guidance if you are the product manager. So, it is important to have leadership skills. And if you don’t have them, start working on this aspect right away.
Domain expertise – The main reason why your company hired you as a product manager is your knowledge of the market and product area. So, grab the chance to strengthen your domain expertise whenever possible.
Operational ability – Group product managers need to delve deep into the fundamentals of the product. For instance – Looking for product improvements or creating/updating the spreadsheets. You may think of delegating these tasks to someone else, but ultimately it is you who is responsible for them. So, a product manager should have the operational ability in him.
Roles and responsibilities of a group product manager – Here is the job description outlining the same –
A group product manager defines and explains the product vision and strategy clearly.
Prioritizes the requirements of the customers and manages to work on them. In short, he is like the advocate of the customers.
Coordinate smoothly with the sales, marketing, and engineering department to ensure that the goals of the business, as well as the goals of the customers, are met.
Holds the domain expertise.
Decide to run pilot programs with the samples or almost the final products. He regularly reviews the work in the agile environment and keeps on getting feedback from the customers to meet the goals of everyone.
Understands the nitty-gritty of the competition and what the customers think of their product.
Have skills like market research and competitive analysis to form the best decision with respect to the product.
Act like a product leader in the organization and maintains the positioning of the product.
Key Deliverables
Group product managers expedite the action with the help of written documents and presentations. Some of the most common documents that your boss or senior might ask to present are –
- Documents depicting the needs of the market
- Product roadmaps
- Case studies, analysis, product comparisons, stories of the users, and white papers.
- Excel spreadsheet.
- Knowledge required in the role of product manager
Every organization and its employees depend on product managers for several tasks. There is no denying the fact that in a product organizational structure, a group product manager plays a vital role. Here is the list of qualities that managers and higher authorities look for while hiring a group product manager –
- Launch the products and define their success that will meet the business goals and objectives.
- Impeccable communication skills (written and verbal).
- Domain expertise in a particular market or product along with its technical knowledge.
- Leadership skills in managing a team.
- Have the power to influence cross-functional teams without the need for formal authority.
Most product managers come with a bachelor’s degree in the respective field that they want to go in. Some hold MBA or proven experience in marketing training.
The role of a group product manager act as one of the best foundation for moving ahead in your career and fitting into the roles like Vice president, general manager, and chief executive officer. And if luck favors you, you will get the chance to work with pretty talented engineering and development teams to form the products that are sure to delight your customers and make a huge difference in their lives. All in all, it will accelerate the process of your company’s success.
To make a long story short
Believe it or not, it is crucial to have a group product manager in every organization. And its demand is increasing in the current competitive world. If you are one who is passionate with ideas and have the power to solve analytical problems, this role is the right fit for you. Build a better future with product management.
