The Top 5 Areas of Agency for a Product Manager
The role of a Product Manager (PM) is both exciting and challenging. While PMs don’t typically have direct authority over the teams they work with, they wield significant agency in influencing outcomes and driving product success. This agency comes from their ability to shape decisions, build consensus, and align diverse stakeholders toward a shared goal.
In this blog, we’ll explore the top five areas where Product Managers can exercise agency and make the greatest impact.
1. Defining the Product Vision
One of the most important areas of agency for a PM is crafting the product vision. This is the North Star that guides everything from strategic planning to day-to-day execution.
What It Looks Like: A PM defines where the product is headed, why it matters, and what success looks like.
Why It Matters: A clear, compelling vision inspires teams and provides direction amidst ambiguity.
How to Succeed: Build a vision based on deep user insights, market trends, and organizational goals. Communicate it frequently and consistently to keep everyone aligned.
2. Prioritizing Problems to Solve
PMs have agency in deciding which problems the team should tackle—and just as importantly, which ones to set aside.
What It Looks Like: Evaluating user pain points, business goals, and technical feasibility to identify the highest-impact opportunities.
Why It Matters: Not all problems are created equal. A PM’s ability to prioritize ensures resources are focused on solving the most valuable challenges.
How to Succeed: Use data, user feedback, and stakeholder input to make informed decisions. Communicate the rationale behind prioritization to build trust and alignment.
3. Shaping the Solution
While PMs aren’t typically the ones designing or coding solutions, they play a critical role in shaping what gets built and why.
What It Looks Like: Collaborating with design and engineering teams to define requirements, set constraints, and explore trade-offs.
Why It Matters: PMs ensure that the solution aligns with user needs, business goals, and technical realities.
How to Succeed: Empower your teams by providing context and clarity, while leaving room for creativity and innovation.
4. Driving Cross-Functional Collaboration
PMs sit at the intersection of design, engineering, marketing, sales, and customer success. Their agency lies in aligning these teams and ensuring smooth collaboration.
What It Looks Like: Coordinating communication, resolving conflicts, and keeping everyone focused on the shared goal.
Why It Matters: A lack of alignment can lead to delays, frustration, and missed opportunities. PMs bridge the gaps between teams and ensure everyone is moving in the same direction.
How to Succeed: Practice active listening, build strong relationships, and create a culture of transparency and trust.
5. Advocating for the User
Perhaps the most powerful area of agency for a PM is their ability to represent the voice of the user.
What It Looks Like: Ensuring that user needs, pain points, and feedback are front and center in every decision.
Why It Matters: A product that doesn’t solve real user problems won’t succeed, no matter how well it’s built.
How to Succeed: Deepen your understanding of the user through research, interviews, and data analysis. Advocate for their needs even when it means making tough trade-offs.
Final Thoughts
Product Managers may not always have direct authority, but their agency in these five areas gives them the power to lead, influence, and deliver impact. By defining the vision, prioritizing effectively, shaping solutions, fostering collaboration, and advocating for the user, PMs can drive the success of their products and their teams.
Remember, the key to exercising agency is influence. Build trust, communicate clearly, and empower your team to do their best work.
What areas of agency do you find most impactful in your role as a PM? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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