Getting Buy-In as a PM. Hey folks, today I wanted to share some… | by Brian Miki | Jun, 2024
Hey folks, today I wanted to share some thoughts on getting buy-in as a PM. A key skill in the role is being able to “influence without authority” and I wanted to share some of the ideas I’ve been thinking about recently. Without further ado, hope you enjoy today’s content!
As engineering, design and other PM teams don’t directly report to you, gaining buy-in is an extremely important skill on the job. Here are a few tips I have found useful in helping me deliver my projects.
My first tip is to identify what is in it for the person you are looking to get buy-in from. Being able to understand their priorities and goals and explaining to them how your project aligns with what they are looking for can help get coworkers excited about what you are building.
Getting people excited about what they work on can not only help you in gaining buy-in but it can have a ripple effect instilling confidence in the rest of your team. Additionally, when employees are passionate about the work and able to piece together how it can help them progress in their career they are more inclined to product quality work.
My second tip is to identify who exactly you need to get buy-in from. There are many cases where you have multiple options to decide who is a key stakeholder in what you are working on. The scope of the project can also influence who you look to influence.
Gaining buy-in from multiple stakeholders can be difficult. At times, it’s more effective to go to the key decision maker (who may be a few levels above you in the org chart). I’ve found it effective to go to them with a large backing of data, an understanding of how it aligns with their vision and how everybody can win from my ideas.
My final tip (which I learned from another intern recently), is to treat your cross-functional teams as if they are always aiming for promotion. Being a servant leader is one of the key characteristics that makes up a PM that empowers their team and can be extremely helpful in gaining buy-in as a PM.
Having a mindset like this is an extremely valuable skill, especially when you become a people manager. At IC levels, you may be able to work towards causes that benefit you but as you progress in your career, sharing success with your extended team can bring you a greater ROI.
I hope you have found this article insightful. Being able to influence without authority is a key skill for every PM to develop and I hope this article has given you some points to be mindful about. Most importantly, enjoy the process!
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About Me:
My name is Brian and I am an early career product manager. I typically write about product management, school and self-development topics. If you are interested in that type of content, feel free to drop a follow or connect with me on LinkedIn.
