Effective Communication: The Key to Successful Product Development
As a product manager, you wear many hats: listener, presenter, convincer, and negotiator, to name a few. To create strong relationships within your organization, you need to be an effective communicator. In fact, communication is the primary skill for a product manager to ensure a successful product development process.
What is Effective Communication?
An effective communicator is someone who speaks clearly, directly, and simply, making sure the listener understands the exact message. They’re also understanding and sensitive to the person they’re communicating with. You can identify them by their successful body language and the feeling that you’ve been listened to and understood. They make eye contact, and you may feel they’re open to your responses and ideas.
5 Key Behaviors for Effective Communication
To be an effective communicator, you should possess the following soft skills:
- Be Direct: Be clear about what you want, the goal you want to achieve, or the purpose of the conversation.
- Be Trustworthy: Use your body language carefully, select the right words, listen, and care for the other person. This helps build trust naturally.
- Be the Initiator: As a product manager, you’re often at the center of the organization. Set the correct tone and avoid poor behaviors.
- Be Authentic: Build healthy communication by being honest and creating your own characteristics of communication.
- Be Simple and Humble: Divide complex topics into understandable parts, and explain them in a simple way to avoid misunderstandings.
Enhancing Communication in the Workplace
Effective communication requires continuous effort. As a product manager, you need to communicate clearly with everyone. To do this, try to:
- Be Approachable: Be available to all stakeholders you work with.
- Know Your Goal: Understand what you want to achieve from a conversation or presentation.
- Know Your Audience: Tailor your conversation style based on whether you’re communicating with customers or internal teams.
- Be an Active Listener: Show you understand who you’re listening to, and pay attention to your speaking style and posture.
- Use Body Language: Make eye contact, and use open and engaged body language to encourage others to listen.
Effective Communication in Your Daily Role
In your daily role, effective communication can make all the difference. For example, in a meeting, actively listen and provide hints or suggestions to keep the conversation on track. Remember to adapt your communication style based on your audience and the situation. Whether you’re communicating with your development team, business team, or customers, be aware of your body language and speaking style to build trust and rapport.
By following these tips, you can become a more effective communicator and lead your team to success.