Erin Dreisbach, Converse, Nike, Under Armour, Product Manager
“We have a product life-cycle management (PLM) system that houses all the information people need to know about the product.”
Erin Dreisbach’s most successful product launches were often under time constraints, but they also stand out in her memory because everyone collaborated efficiently and was on the same page about strategy. “When you can come together as a group, create a strong idea of what you want, and then create a strategy with all partners’ input and ideas, you’re more likely to succeed,” she says. “I worked on a project that would have taken 18 months to develop and fully commercialize if we had followed our usual calendars and processes. Because of different initiatives from leadership and our retail partners, however, we had to do it in about four or five months. It was really stressful, but we were able to come together and determine the quickest and most efficient way to get the project done.”
To create the close internal alignment necessary for a successful product launch, you must approach each stakeholder’s viewpoint with empathy and openness. “We’re all collectively working toward the same end product, but as a product manager, you’re working with development, sourcing and planning various other functions. Each one of them comes with its own viewpoint, goals, and opinions as to how they think the project should flow. As I’ve grown in my product management role, I’ve learned how to bridge the gap between all those departments and distill the information they generate into something everyone can easily consume and understand,” she says.
To create the close internal alignment necessary for a successful product launch, you must approach each stakeholder’s viewpoint with empathy and openness. “We’re all collectively working toward the same end product, but as a product manager, you’re working with development, sourcing and planning various other functions. Each one of them comes with its own viewpoint, goals, and opinions as to how they think the project should flow. As I’ve grown in my product management role, I’ve learned how to bridge the gap between all those departments and distill the information they generate into something everyone can easily consume and understand,” she says.
This is an excerpt from 7 Experts on Product Leadership. The eBook was generously sponsored by Workfront.
