Traits of a good product manager

Watch what product managers do daily to see if they are good.

Why it matters

• Your organization is only as successful as your product managers
• It is not so easy to tell good from bad product managers
• If you have no criteria to spot good performers, you will only compare them to your vague sense of what you're doing well
• When you have an idea what you want to observe in a product manager, you can do so in interviews, in 1:1s, in reviews, every day

The traits

• 👟 Moving first: don't wait for others or allowance, be proactive in everything, foresee challenges and tackle them early
• 📚 Actively learning: spending time and energy on getting new perspectives and applying them on the job
• 🗣 Empathetic communicator: engaging in open and direct communication, showing respect for others and only saying things that they would feel comfortable saying to someone's face, while also exhibiting empathy, understanding, and compassion towards others.
• 🧐 Reflective: considering their own strengths, accomplishments, and things they compare themselves to, and recognizing and acknowledging their own biases and limitations
• 😀 Positive: approaching situations with the mindset of "How interesting!" and showing kindness during chaos or crisis
• 🌍 Realistic: acknowledging and accepting the reality of a situation, rather than engaging in wishful thinking, and embracing mistakes as opportunities to learn
• 💪 Resilient: displaying patience, future-orientation, and the ability to persevere and overcome challenges
• 👀 Observant: paying attention to and caring about details about processes, people and organization
• 🙏 Humble: acknowledging that they may not always be right, and being open to learning from others
• 👷🏽‍♀️Responsible: taking ownership of their mistakes and apologizing when necessary
• 🎁 Giving back: considering how they can contribute and make a positive impact among their peers
• 🌟 Encouraging: considering how they can help others grow and succeed
• 🧑‍🎓 Reflective, energetic, and honest: consistently demonstrating reflective thinking, energy, and integrity in their work.