Managing Expectations

Description: Managing expectations involves communicating clearly and regularly about what your team, stakeholders, and leadership can expect regarding product development progress, potential roadblocks, and outcomes. This is crucial for maintaining trust and alignment across all parties involved in a product's lifecycle.

Example

Consider a Product Manager at a software company like Adobe. They are in charge of a new feature development for one of Adobe's creative tools. To manage expectations, they create a detailed product roadmap that outlines the timeline for the feature release. This roadmap is shared with stakeholders and leadership, providing a clear picture of what to expect and when.

On the other hand, the Product Manager also provides regular updates to the development team, keeping them informed about the progress and any changes in the plan. For instance, if there's a delay in the development due to unforeseen technical challenges, the Product Manager communicates this to all parties involved, updating the roadmap and setting new expectations. This proactive communication helps maintain trust, even when there are setbacks.

Pain Points

Balancing transparency with the need to avoid overpromising can be challenging. It's also important to manage your own expectations and be prepared for changes and setbacks. For example, a Product Manager might face challenges when there are delays in the development process or changes in the business strategy that affect the product roadmap.

Practical Exercise

Think about a company or a team you're familiar with. Imagine you're a Product Manager working on a new product or feature. How would you manage expectations with your team, stakeholders, and leadership? What communication strategies would you use? What potential challenges might you face and how would you handle them?

Related Research Topics

• Change management [ Google | Perplexity ]

• Agile planning [ Google | Perplexity ]

• Communication strategies in project management [ Google | Perplexity ]

• Managing stakeholder expectations [ Google | Perplexity ]