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{"id":3914,"date":"2023-03-29T16:01:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T16:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/?p=3914"},"modified":"2023-03-29T16:32:40","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T16:32:40","slug":"ultimate-guide-to-onboarding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrismiles.co\/ultimate-guide-to-onboarding\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide To Onboarding Into a New Role as a Product Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 8<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Before I start, the TL;DR version is here’s a link to the slide template<\/a> to help you plan your onboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been in full-time work for just over a decade now, and I\u2019ve worked for or with over a dozen companies in that time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I telling you my (working) life story? Well, because I\u2019ve packed in a lot of experience onboarding to new roles, products, and environments in my career to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s pretty daunting moving to a new company. While that will never disappear entirely, putting some structure around it can help whether it\u2019s your first role or your fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’ve worked with a range of companies in my career to date.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve used the approach I\u2019ll outline in this post explicitly for my last two roles\u200a\u2014\u200aat Digital Directories (Qredible, Justifit and LegalePerMe) and most recently for The Keyholding Company, where I worked for 2 years from November 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the nascency of product management at these organisations, I could not have been successful in my role without the proactivity of an onboarding plan. There were few ready-made sources of information to get up to speed with the company, customers or competition and no one dictated what I should do, when, and how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a hiring manager, proactivity is the number one trait that I look for. You can overcome most gaps in experience or skillset with proactivity, and so it\u2019s the number one attribute I look for as a hiring manager. Use this article to be able to confidently discuss how you\u2019ll get up to speed in a new role during the interview process, and then wow your new colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHit the ground running\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before I get to the onboarding structure, I\u2019d just like to take a moment to mention this all-too-popular phrase related to onboarding. If you\u2019ll pardon my language, it\u2019s BS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To hit the ground running implies that you just ignore the specifics and nuances of your new role, team, company, and industry and just start delivering things. Let me explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The origin of the phrase \u2018hit the ground running\u2019 is a matter of some debate, but is generally considered to refer to troops deployed by parachute landing and immediately running, or other similar situations like someone fleeing from a dangerous incident. Oh, and by the way, the safest way for a paratrooper to land is by immediately rolling, not running. Take that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creator: Paolo Bovo | Credit: Training Support Activity Europe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are two factors in these incidents that don\u2019t exist for you on your MacBook Pro in your air-conditioned office in central London (or more recently, in your tracksuit bottoms and slippers in your guest bedroom)\u200a\u2014\u200afear for your life and\/ or absolutely clear directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the armed forces, there is a clear and absolute hierarchy of command and so this works. This hierarchy and structure need to be in place because the cost of failure\u200a\u2014\u200aeven a minor one\u200a\u2014\u200ais probable death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an Agile product management environment, it\u2019s not so clear. You might be given a vision, a strategy or even outcomes but that still does not give you an absolute path forward. If there is someone there telling you exactly what to do, how to do it and when then I\u2019m afraid you\u2019re a product manager in name only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To hit the ground running implies that you just ignore the specifics and nuances of your new role<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Many of you will have already heard the stat that 80% of product launches fail, and only 1 in 7 product ideas actually make it to the customer. That\u2019s OK, but if you go flying off in one direction as soon as you start, I guarantee you will miss the important context. Small failures are a good thing in product development but don\u2019t set yourself (and the team) up to fail through ignorance by skipping a deep onboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One huge benefit of any new joiner is a fresh perspective, and asking anyone to \u2018hit the ground running\u2019 typically means giving them a roadmap and telling them to get on with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The mindset required from a product manager is summed up perfectly by the late, great Samuel Beckett.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be fooled by thinking that being a product manager in an Agile world means you don\u2019t plan. I am planning almost constantly, but the mantra above is crucial to your long-term success in product management and the success of the products that you look after, and this starts with effective onboarding.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting yourself up for success<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now that my rant about over-used and misleading idioms is over, let\u2019s take a look at how you can set yourself up for long-term success and not fall into the trap of trying to do too much, too soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 30-60-90 day plan is not a new concept, but it\u2019s the one I\u2019d recommend you use. The below plan and the steps within it are largely applicable whether you\u2019re an Associate Product Manager or a Chief Product Officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have used this approach in my last 3 roles and found it incredibly useful to make my onboarding more efficient, effective and even less stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s go through it. For each, I have defined a series of topics and goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First 30 days\u200a\u2014\u200alearn and understand <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal for your first 30 days is to get a feel for the business and get to know your teammates. It is not a time when you should have to deliver anything at all.<\/strong> It can be tempting to try and impress your new team and your boss by \u2018contributing\u2019 from the off but resist this temptation at all costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve broken this stage into 5 sections which you can loosely consider to be in order, but in reality, you can structure them in whatever way you choose. It’s important to say that this is relevant even if you’re just moving teams in the same business, just pick and choose what you think is relevant, but a refresher is always useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I won\u2019t go through every question as you can see them in the visual below, but to summarise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision & Strategy <\/strong>– Do you understand the direction of the company, any known plans and how your product fits into it?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Meet the Team<\/strong> – Meet as many people as possible, and understand their challenges. Get to know those you\u2019ll be working with.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Tools & Processes<\/strong> – Want to avoid awkwardly trying to add a user story live on a zoom call when you\u2019ve got no idea what you\u2019re doing? Onboard yourself with the tools that the company uses, and understand how they work.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Product & Tech<\/strong> – You need a base level of understanding of the product ecosystem to be able to make informed decisions in the not-too-distant future. If an architecture diagram doesn\u2019t exist\u200a\u2014\u200amake one!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Customers<\/strong> – Once you\u2019ve got the internal elements down, it\u2019s time to understand your customers. They\u2019re kinda important.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Resist the temptation to immediately start delivering in your first 30 days and focus on understanding your surroundings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second 30 days\u200a\u2014\u200aevaluate and contribute<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now that you\u2019ve got your feet under the table and your head around the generalities, it\u2019s time to dig a bit deeper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After conducting more research, you\u2019re ready to share some of the insight that you\u2019ve gleaned with the rest of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a new member of the team, you\u2019ll have the benefit of seeing things with a fresh pair of eyes\u200a\u2014\u200adon\u2019t underestimate just how powerful this can be. Notice a process that could be more efficient? Share your views. Think the objectives you\u2019ve inherited for your product don\u2019t quite line up? Voice it. Is something missing from a core User Experience? Keep calm and talk to people about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use what you\u2019ve learned to create a SWOT analysis, and suggest process improvements and refinements to your product\u2019s strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your \u2018fresh take\u2019 will quickly be eroded as you become indoctrinated into how things are done, so don\u2019t miss this moment to share what you\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Towards the end of your second 30 days, you’ll start to give back by sharing insight and defining the needs of the product and team.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Third 30 days\u200a\u2014\u200alead from the front<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This one can be adapted depending on your role\u200a\u2014\u200aparticularly your seniority\u200a\u2014\u200abut the theory holds. It\u2019s time to go from being a net learner to a net contributor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What am I going to work on?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re in a leadership role, then the strategy probably refers to the overall product strategy for one or a suite of products. If you\u2019re an individual contributor, it could be a strategy for a product, a feature, or merely your<\/em> <\/strong>strategy to tackle an existing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How am I going to work on it?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You know what you need to achieve in the short term, but how are you going to go about it? By now, you should have a good sense of the pros and cons of existing processes, the different personalities in the team and the main pain points of your users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use all this information to make a pragmatic assessment\u200a\u2014\u200ahow can I progress the what, while also influencing the how?* Only you can make this assessment based on the goals of the business and current progress against them. If the team are up against it to support sales targets, then hack for success. If there\u2019s less pressure, maybe now is the time to put the foundations in place for future success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*I\u2019d say this only applies if you identify areas that could be an improvement but let\u2019s be honest, no company is perfect and I\u2019ve never failed to notice something that could be better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Defining goals for your first 90 days<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I also defined goals across 4 categories for each of the 3 stages. These were learning, initiative, personal, and performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these will need to be tailored to you, and you\u2019ll need to take the research you did for your interviews a bit further to have a go at this before you join, and then amend it in your first couple of weeks once you\u2019ve somewhat got the lie of the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning Goals\u200a<\/strong> \u2014\u200a What information will I absorb about the company, team, and role?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Initiative Goals\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aWhat will you I do to stand out?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Personal Goals<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200aHow will I integrate with the team?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Performance Goals<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200ahow will I measure success?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A template to determine clear goals across the 4 areas for your first 90 days.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Monitoring your first 90 days<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I found using the sections and individual questions within each stage as a checklist incredibly useful. 20 days into each stage I assessed myself using a good old-fashioned RAG status at a question, section and overall level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then did the same exercise at the end of each 30-day period and provided an overview to the leadership team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The above example is from my first 30 days at The Keyholding Company.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That’s it, your onboarding is complete. I hope you found this article useful but I\u2019d welcome any feedback you have on anything you\u2019ve read!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll end how I started, with a link to the slide template for you to download<\/a> and use for your next role, or for onboarding people into your team. It\u2019s a PowerPoint document so the formatting may be a little off if you choose to open and amend it in Google Slides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoyed this post, I think you’ll also benefit from this article below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are the top attributes of a Product Manager, according to people in the product community?<\/a><\/blockquote>