The Case for Working with an External Product Coach

Product Coaches are relatively new to the Product Management world, and they could benefit anyone in their Product Management career. New PMs work with coaches to develop new competencies and gain confidence, extending managers' bandwidth. Experienced PMs work with coaches to refine their skills, level up, and prepare for advancement. Product Leaders work with coaches to refine their strategies, get the best out of their people, and ensure the alignment across the organization.

I’m a Product Manager. Why would I work with a Product Coach?

Very few of us went to college knowing that we would become Product Managers. It’s something that showed up as a calling, and we had to pivot to make it happen. We come from Engineering, Marketing, Consulting, Project Management, Design and Analyst backgrounds, among others. The knowledge that we have on how to do the job well can be lopsided at first, and we are eager to gain experience. The former Engineer will likely have a strong command of the Product Development lifecycle and understanding product data, but may struggle with Product Discovery techniques. A former Designer may be really strong at Product Discovery, but may lack the ability to influence and gain buy-in for strategic product investments. This is normal, and a Product coach can work with you to identify your competencies and collaborate on a professional development plan on the other areas.

Product Management can be supported by frameworks, but it isn’t a framework. To do it well, Product Sense is required, and the experience you will have is shaped by your industry, your company’s understanding of what a strong product and Product team looks like, your org structure, and even market conditions. Working with a Product coach who has spent years learning how to influence and lead in various configurations of companies, org structures, and industries can help develop your Product Sense and confidence in your decision making.

Coaching is an accelerator for your career. When you work with a coach who has been in your position and progressed to top Product leadership positions in their companies, not only do they have practical advice and wisdom to depart, but they can also help you map your own advancement. They know what it takes to get there. This is not in conflict with coaching and management provided by your direct manager; it simply offers additional, personalized focus and a safe space to be vulnerable and ask for help.

Many of the Product Managers I’ve coached who’ve played an active role in their own professional development are already very good at what they do, considered top performers and rising stars by their management, and they still want to get better. These PMs want accountability partners, perspective, to be directed to additional resources when necessary, and they want to feel good about their ability to deliver.

I am a Product Leader. What benefit would I get from working with a Product Leadership Coach?

Leading a team of Product Managers (and often other teams) draws on your Product Management experience, but is an entirely different skill set. Your ability to earn the respect of your fellow leadership team, demonstrate your team’s value, while ensuring the Product Vision and Strategy are understood by your organization and executed across the various Product Development functions are table stakes. On top of navigating complicated relationship dynamics, fluctuating market conditions and finding time to coach and build relationships with your people, this is a BIG JOB with a great impact on your organization’s success. There likely isn’t another function in your company that is expected to have as much depth and breadth as yours. Working with a Product Leadership Coach to prioritize, get great results from your people, and collaborate on important decisions and presentations will re-energize and ground you.

When you are Head of Product/VP/CPO, your boss likely hasn’t held your position in your company or anywhere else, and your discipline-specific professional development can be nonexistent by default. You are expected to execute against company goals and those may be the sole measurement of your performance. You may spend what bandwidth you have on leadership skills development, but you aren’t done learning how to be a great Product Leader. A Product Leadership Coach can round this out for you.

Your company and the market is dynamic, and there will likely be scenarios introduced that are new to you, such as learning to lead in a recession, new ways of working and planning, and understanding the newest generation of employees entering the workforce. Collaborating with a Product Leadership Coach who is actively coaching other Product Leaders across multiple companies is a great way to stay current on what your counterparts in other organizations are navigating and problem solving. Coaching sessions are the safe space to figure it out.

Interested in learning more? Schedule time with me.