You are working across multiple teams, and everyone needs your time. How will you manage your time and ensure the success of the product?

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Asked at Google in the past year

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Krishna · Answer 1 · 2024-08-04T04:23:57+0000

Clarifying Questions:

What is my role here? am I PM or GPM or CPO or SPM?
Which teams are involved? multiple product teams? or diverse business units like engineering, marketing, sales?
What is the product i am working on?
What is the reason that everyone needs my time? is it due to product launch that is nearing or is post lanch activities or anything specific?

Few techniques I would use to address the needs:

I would prioritise addressing needs by using any of these RICE, MOSCOW, Urgency matrix frameworks
I would delegate work accordingly by empowering teams to make decisions on their own by providng as much context as possible
I would use time blocking and efficient calendar management
I would efficiently use internal tools to communciate in answering team requests using different media like teams messages, meeting, email etc
I would try to put in mechanisms in place where i can idetify issues befoe they happen by letitng teams to add me to their sprint review calls, or scrum of scrums or departmental calls where i could try to address or identify issues
I would maintain open hours and encourage teams to book time from my open hours.
I would ensure continuous improvement efforts are in place

Knight27 · Answer 2 · 2024-06-04T10:59:25+0000

Start with Clarification Question

What are the primary goals and objectives of this product?
Which teams are involved in this product? Assuming engineering, design, marketing, sales, customer support, etc.
Are these teams located in different geographic locations or are they all in the same place?- Assuming virtual and global set up
Are there any key milestones to keep in mind? Assuming 3-6 months to be ready for private preview or MVP
What is the current level of alignment or buy-in from these teams? Are there any teams that are already on board or any that are particularly resistant?--> Assuming all teams have their own priorities and find a way to get buy-in

Approach to align with different team

Communicate Product Strategy
1. Ensuring strategy is well defined
2. Keep a one pager or TLDR to communicate the product strategy
3. Organize a series of kick-off meetings to present the strategy to all involved teams
4. Utilise case study or use case to illustrate impact and benefit of the strategy

Map Stakeholder and Analysis
1. Prepare list of stakeholders and map them in terms of impact and engagement
2. What is the current level of alignment or buy-in from these teams? Are there any teams that are already on board or any that are particularly resistant?
Collaborative Planning
1. Create cross-functional working groups with representatives from each team.
2. Encourage these groups to collaborate on developing detailed implementation plans, ensuring they have ownership and input in the process.

Provide Necessary Resources and Support:
1. Ensure teams have the resources, tools, and support needed to execute the strategy effectively.
2. Offer training or workshops if the strategy involves new processes or technologies.
3. Schedule brownbag session for creating awareness about the engineering aspects
Monitor Progress and Address Issues Promptly:
1. Track progress against the defined milestones and KPIs.
2. Be proactive in identifying and addressing any issues or bottlenecks that arise.
Celebrate Wins and Learn from Failures:
1. Recognize and celebrate team achievements to maintain morale and motivation.
2. Conduct retrospectives to learn from any challenges faced during the implementation and continuously improve the process.