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Delaney
Student
Berkeley, California
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What do former consultants bring to the product manager job that are amazing Conversely, what skills do you wish they would cultivate more?
I'm pivoting from consulting to product management and would value current product teams' perspective on this question!
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Saravana Kumar
CTO
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Austin, Texas
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Saravana’s Answer
Consultants are amazing at looking at the big-picture strategic thinking and generating ideas. Speed and agility are their biggest strengths. They are also good at communication and collaboration. One area in my opinion they need to improve on is the focus on execution. Many times, I have seen big ideas come out of B5 consulting but they are not easy to execute. Transferring this execution focus to product management is the key. Also, consultants are broad-based, so it will be helpful to gain deep domain expertise.
Jerome Dees Jr.
Sales Professional and Networking Expert
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San Francisco, California
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Jerome’s Answer
Agree with Saravana's answer. Consultants are like architects that can design the house and show you how it should look. Project managers are like the builders that come in and follow the plans. There is some overlap, but for the most part, that have pretty different primary functions.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
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Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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James Constantine’s Answer
Greetings, Delaney!
The Value of Former Consultants in Product Management
Ex-consultants often pivot to product management roles, carrying with them a distinct set of skills and experiences that can considerably enhance product teams. Here are some of the key qualities they typically exhibit:
Analytical Prowess: Consultants are schooled in dissecting complex data sets and extracting actionable insights. This ability is vital in product management, where comprehending user behavior, market trends, and performance metrics can guide product choices.
Problem-Solving Skills: The consulting world prioritizes structured problem-solving approaches. Ex-consultants excel at pinpointing problems, generating solutions, and executing strategies effectively—abilities that are priceless when tackling the hurdles of product development.
Stakeholder Interaction: Consultants often interact with a wide array of stakeholders across diverse industries. This experience furnishes them with the capacity to communicate effectively with various teams (like engineering, marketing, sales) and manage expectations from different parties involved in the product lifecycle.
Strategic Vision: A history in consulting usually involves crafting long-term strategies for clients. This strategic perspective helps ex-consultants look beyond immediate tasks and contemplate how their products align with wider business goals.
Project Management Expertise: A number of consultants have experience overseeing projects from start to finish, including setting scopes, timelines, and deliverables. This project management knowledge is crucial for product managers who need to supervise the development process while ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Flexibility: Consulting demands individuals to adapt swiftly to new circumstances and challenges. This flexibility is advantageous in product management, where priorities can shift quickly based on market feedback or organizational changes.
Customer-Centric Approach: Consultants often stress understanding client needs and delivering value—an approach that aligns perfectly with the customer-centric philosophy needed in product management.
Areas for Further Development for Former Consultants
While ex-consultants bring many assets to product management roles, there are also areas where they might need additional growth:
Technical Knowledge: Depending on their past experience, some ex-consultants may lack deep technical understanding related to software development or engineering principles. Nurturing a stronger grasp of technology can boost their ability to work effectively with engineering teams.
User Experience (UX) Design Comprehension: While consultants may be adept in market analysis and strategy creation, they might not have extensive experience in UX design principles or user research techniques. Building these skills can assist them in creating more user-friendly products.
Agile Practices: Many consulting firms function using traditional project management frameworks rather than the agile methodologies commonly used in tech companies today. Familiarity with agile practices can enhance their effectiveness as product managers by allowing them to react quickly to changes during the development process.
Empathy for Users: Although consultants often concentrate on client needs from a business standpoint, nurturing deeper empathy for end users can lead to improved product results. Direct engagement with users through interviews or usability testing can foster this understanding.
Cross-Functional Teamwork Skills: While stakeholder management is a strength for many ex-consultants, improving collaboration skills within cross-functional teams—especially in high-speed environments—can result in more unified teamwork and innovation.
In a nutshell, ex-consultants bring valuable analytical prowess, problem-solving skills, stakeholder interaction experience, strategic vision, project management expertise, flexibility, and a customer-centric approach to product management roles. However, they could gain from nurturing deeper technical knowledge, UX design comprehension, familiarity with agile practices, empathy for users, and improved cross-functional teamwork skills.
Top 3 Credible Sources Used in Answering this Question:
Harvard Business Review - A premier publication that offers insights on business strategy and leadership practices pertinent to both consulting and product management fields.
Mind the Product - A platform driven by the community that focuses on disseminating knowledge about product management best practices through articles penned by seasoned professionals in the field.
McKinsey & Company Insights - Provides research-based insights into industry trends and best practices that underscore the intersection between consulting expertise and effective product management strategies.
Likelihood that the answer is correct: 95%
Blessings to you!
JC.
The Value of Former Consultants in Product Management
Ex-consultants often pivot to product management roles, carrying with them a distinct set of skills and experiences that can considerably enhance product teams. Here are some of the key qualities they typically exhibit:
Analytical Prowess: Consultants are schooled in dissecting complex data sets and extracting actionable insights. This ability is vital in product management, where comprehending user behavior, market trends, and performance metrics can guide product choices.
Problem-Solving Skills: The consulting world prioritizes structured problem-solving approaches. Ex-consultants excel at pinpointing problems, generating solutions, and executing strategies effectively—abilities that are priceless when tackling the hurdles of product development.
Stakeholder Interaction: Consultants often interact with a wide array of stakeholders across diverse industries. This experience furnishes them with the capacity to communicate effectively with various teams (like engineering, marketing, sales) and manage expectations from different parties involved in the product lifecycle.
Strategic Vision: A history in consulting usually involves crafting long-term strategies for clients. This strategic perspective helps ex-consultants look beyond immediate tasks and contemplate how their products align with wider business goals.
Project Management Expertise: A number of consultants have experience overseeing projects from start to finish, including setting scopes, timelines, and deliverables. This project management knowledge is crucial for product managers who need to supervise the development process while ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Flexibility: Consulting demands individuals to adapt swiftly to new circumstances and challenges. This flexibility is advantageous in product management, where priorities can shift quickly based on market feedback or organizational changes.
Customer-Centric Approach: Consultants often stress understanding client needs and delivering value—an approach that aligns perfectly with the customer-centric philosophy needed in product management.
Areas for Further Development for Former Consultants
While ex-consultants bring many assets to product management roles, there are also areas where they might need additional growth:
Technical Knowledge: Depending on their past experience, some ex-consultants may lack deep technical understanding related to software development or engineering principles. Nurturing a stronger grasp of technology can boost their ability to work effectively with engineering teams.
User Experience (UX) Design Comprehension: While consultants may be adept in market analysis and strategy creation, they might not have extensive experience in UX design principles or user research techniques. Building these skills can assist them in creating more user-friendly products.
Agile Practices: Many consulting firms function using traditional project management frameworks rather than the agile methodologies commonly used in tech companies today. Familiarity with agile practices can enhance their effectiveness as product managers by allowing them to react quickly to changes during the development process.
Empathy for Users: Although consultants often concentrate on client needs from a business standpoint, nurturing deeper empathy for end users can lead to improved product results. Direct engagement with users through interviews or usability testing can foster this understanding.
Cross-Functional Teamwork Skills: While stakeholder management is a strength for many ex-consultants, improving collaboration skills within cross-functional teams—especially in high-speed environments—can result in more unified teamwork and innovation.
In a nutshell, ex-consultants bring valuable analytical prowess, problem-solving skills, stakeholder interaction experience, strategic vision, project management expertise, flexibility, and a customer-centric approach to product management roles. However, they could gain from nurturing deeper technical knowledge, UX design comprehension, familiarity with agile practices, empathy for users, and improved cross-functional teamwork skills.
Top 3 Credible Sources Used in Answering this Question:
Harvard Business Review - A premier publication that offers insights on business strategy and leadership practices pertinent to both consulting and product management fields.
Mind the Product - A platform driven by the community that focuses on disseminating knowledge about product management best practices through articles penned by seasoned professionals in the field.
McKinsey & Company Insights - Provides research-based insights into industry trends and best practices that underscore the intersection between consulting expertise and effective product management strategies.
Likelihood that the answer is correct: 95%
Blessings to you!
JC.