{"id":11696,"date":"2013-06-13T06:42:41","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T13:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=11696"},"modified":"2013-06-11T08:59:22","modified_gmt":"2013-06-11T15:59:22","slug":"what-if-two-product-manager-colleagues-disagree-on-something-and-can-only-agree-to-disagree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=11696","title":{"rendered":"What if two product managers disagree on something and can only agree to disagree?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I received the below great question a few days after my Art of War for Product Managers and High-Performing Professionals.\u00a0<\/em> I thought you might be interested in the answer as well.<\/p>\n

What if two product manager colleagues disagree on something and can only agree to disagree and cannot come to a resolution, what do you do afterwards?<\/b><\/p>\n

I go into the: who, what, where, when, why and how in more detail in the IT Professional Development Toolkit product.<\/p>\n

One recommendation is to find the common-shared goal among the three product manager.\u00a0 Continue to bring the discussion to a higher-level until you get some type of agreement.\u00a0 Oftentimes people are arguing over a detail or specific solution.\u00a0 When people of like-minds and professions are arguing \u2013 it simply means that they are talking \u2018at\u2019 the wrong level.\u00a0 It\u2019s merely an indicator that the parties are looking in the wrong place for the answer.\u00a0 When you pop-up the discussion to the next higher level, things tend to work out.<\/p>\n

One example:<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0 One product manager (Product Manager 1) states that this release needs to have a Drag-n-Drop feature in this release.\u00a0 The other product manager (Product Manager 2) \u00a0is adamant that it cannot be included in this release because the code is from a 3rd<\/sup>-party company.\u00a0 There simply isn\u2019t enough time to get the legal authorization to change it on our own, or get the 3rd<\/sup>-party folks to change it.\u00a0 Product Manager 1 knows that a high-profile client will leave the company and product \u2013 if we don\u2019t but this feature in this release.<\/p>\n

This is what I did:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Paraphrased our common product goal:\u00a0 Release the product with high-quality, on-time and with significant enhancements that clients will be very pleased with.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Get everyone agreeing to the high-level common goal.\u00a0 Get everyone on the same page with the company vision and mission.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Try to kick-up the discussion by understanding \u201cwhy\u201d this change is needed in the first place.\u00a0 I asked the team \u2018why\u2019 this change is needed.\u00a0\u00a0 Product Manager 1 says \u2013 \u201cThe client needs create a project plan from some of his other project folders.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t want to start from scratch.\u00a0 He wants to drag-n-drop his selected folders to create the new project.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t want to re-invent\u201d<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I paraphrased, \u201cSo, let me restate to make sure I understand.\u00a0 You\u2019re focusing on what the client really wants, which is what we all want.\u00a0 And what the client wants is a method to import files from a previous project into his new project file.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t want to start from scratch.\u00a0 He wants an import function.\u201d\u00a0 (First understand and then be understood — from Steven Covey\u2019s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).<\/p>\n

Product Manager 1 \u2013 \u201cYes \u2013 they want an import function\u201d<\/p>\n

I asked Product Manager 2: \u201cI think we already have an import function, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 It\u2019s not using the drag-n-drop feature.\u00a0 But it accomplishes the essence of the goal.\u00a0 It gets the job done, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Product Manager 2 nods, \u201cYES \u2013 it\u2019s called IMPORT.\u00a0 You can browse your directory and click on the folders to drill down.\u00a0 You can even drill down to the documents and specific lines to import.\u00a0 Once you have highlighted the areas that you want imported, you just hit the IMPORT button.\u00a0 You can even include everything and then mask-out things you don\u2019t want to include (which are a faster way to important large amounts of data).\u201d<\/p>\n

Product Manager 2 is happy, \u201cReally?\u00a0 That\u2019s even better than what they asked for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Product Manager 1. \u201cAnd it\u2019s already in the product that they have today.\u00a0 They don\u2019t have to wait until the next release\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The stale-mate was caused by getting too caught in the details.\u00a0 Product Manager 1 wanted to give the customer exactly what he\/she was asking for; customer was asking for a specific solution (drag-n-drop) to answer their problem; Product Manager 2 was narrowly focused on the impossibility of that one solution (drag-n-drop).\u00a0\u00a0 By focusing on a single solution, we were in stalemate.<\/p>\n

By disengaging from the specific details on HOW something will be accomplished, and focusing on exactly what is trying to be accomplished \u2013 most people can find a common, shared goal.\u00a0 I talk more about how to use paraphrasing, listening techniques, negotiating techniques and finding the common ground in the IT Professional Development Toolkit<\/i>.<\/p>\n

I go through more of the: who, what, where, when, why and how \u2013 in the IT Professional Development Toolkit<\/a> product.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I received the below great question a few days after my Art of War for Product Managers and High-Performing Professionals.\u00a0 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