Navigating the Stakeholder Landscape: The Power of Standard Operating Procedures
As a product manager, you’re no stranger to navigating multiple scenarios from discovery to delivery. With numerous internal and external stakeholders involved across various fields, it can be challenging to align everyone towards a common goal. But how do you navigate these different areas and make it your own? One effective way is through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
What are Standard Operating Procedures?
An SOP is a standardized process that everyone in the organization adheres to. It’s a dynamic reference document that summarizes these processes, fostering collaboration and helping teams achieve common goals. In product management, an SOP serves as a reference doc to ensure business value is translated into product requirements, ultimately creating value for users by solving their problems.
Why Do You Need an SOP?
SOPs help product managers derive signal from noise. There are three types of noise: noise of ideas, noise of priorities, and noise of perception. An SOP helps you navigate these noises, ensuring you’re focused on what matters most.
How Do You Write Standard Operating Procedures?
Crafting an effective SOP begins with asking insightful questions. This process kickstarts the development of a comprehensive document that’s tailored to your product and business needs. Consider the diverse audiences your SOP will serve, and ensure it’s written in a way that resonates with them.
To create an SOP, follow these three main steps:
- Ask Good Questions: Start by asking questions that address the three types of noise. These questions should cover product, people, and process aspects. Examples include:
- What is my product area?
- Who are the primary stakeholders for my product area?
- What is the existing product development lifecycle in the organization?
- Co-Document the Answers: Involve stakeholders in the documentation process, ensuring their expertise shines through in the document. Work with a timeline in mind, focusing on progress over perfection.
- Frame the SOP: This final stage involves articulating what you’ve learned from steps 1 and 2. Choose an SOP format that fits your requirements, such as an FAQ, checklist, or flowchart SOP.
Customizing SOP Formats
Remember, SOP formats should be tailored to your audience. For instance, a customer service team may prefer an FAQ-style SOP, while an engineering team may require details on standardizing story points and calculating velocity.
Key Takeaways
- Asking good questions is essential to drafting a good SOP.
- SOPs help product managers navigate the complex stakeholder landscape.
- SOPs are a by-product of co-articulating questions and solutions.
- Customize SOP formats to fit your product and business requirements.
- SOP articulation may differ based on the audience it’s intended for.
The Agile Nature of SOPs
An SOP is not a rigid, unchanging policy document. It’s a dynamic reference document that should be open to updates as circumstances evolve. Be agile and ready to make changes to the SOP when necessary, ensuring it remains a valuable tool for achieving common goals.