Productivity Hacks for Product Managers

Defining productivity for a product manager

As a product manager, we are responsible for the success of your product, and also we are responsible for a lot of moving parts around our product.

This means that you need to be productive in order to achieve your goals.

But what does productivity mean for a product manager?

When it comes to productivity, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person might not work for another.

So, what is productivity in general?

Put simply, it’s a measure of how efficiently you use your time and resources to achieve your desired results.

A productive product manager gets the right things done, and does them right.

Specifically for a product manager, there are a few different ways to define productivity.

1. One definition is the ability to get things done efficiently and effectively. This means being able to plan and execute your work in a way that maximizes your results.

2. Another definition of productivity for a product manager is our inventivity:

   1. To be creative and think outside the box.
   2. To generate new ideas and bring them to life.
   3. To come up with new ways to improve your product.

The best way to be productive as a product manager is to find a balance between these two definitions.

Tips and tricks to help boost productivity

The first step to being productive as a product manager is to define your process. What works for you may not work for someone else, so it’s important to find a system that works for you and stick to it. There are a few things to consider when defining your process:

• What is your goal? What do you want to achieve with your product?
• Who is your audience? Who will you be making your product for?
• What is your timeline? When do you need to have your product finished by?

I’ll describe here the tips that made me a better product manager, but not all of them may apply to you. Pick and choose the ones relevant and feel free to discard the others.

Manage what needs to be done

Start your day with a plan

• Set a daily goal Each day, set a goal for yourself. This could be anything from completing a certain task to making progress on a project. Having a daily goal will help you stay on track and motivated.
• Create a Todo List Write out a to-do list of everything you need to accomplish and make sure you stick to it.

• Set a schedule One of the biggest productivity killers is trying to do too much in too little time. You should create a schedule that is realistic and allows for some flexibility. Make sure to allow for breaks and time to deal with unexpected tasks.

• Break up your day into smaller chunks

  • Dedicate certain periods of time to specific tasks. For example, you can spend the first hour of your day answering emails, the next hour on a conference call, and the next hour working on a presentation.
  • Once you know what you need to do and by when, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will make it feel less daunting and help you stay on track.

• Set Deadlines

  • If you don’t have a sense of urgency, it’s easy to push things off until “later.” By setting a deadline, you’ll force yourself to focus and get things done.
  • Having a deadline will help you focus and get the task done.

Set realistic goals

As a product manager, you are responsible for a lot of different things. From developing product strategy to managing product development to working with customers and partners, there are a lot of balls to keep in the air.

That’s why it’s so important to have a clear understanding of your goals. What are you trying to achieve? What are your priorities?

Once you know your goals, you can start to develop a plan for how to achieve them.

Before you can start hacking away at your productivity, you need to define what you’re trying to achieve. Whether it’s shipping a new product, improving an existing one, or simply getting through your never-ending to-do list, take a moment to think about what you want to accomplish.

• Set goals for yourself

It’s important to set realistic goals for yourself as a product manager. If you set goals that are too lofty, you’re likely to get frustrated and give up. On the other hand, if you set goals that are too small, you’ll never challenge yourself and you’ll never reach your full potential.

Find a safe middle ground and set goals that push you to be your best self.

• Set Goals for the team

As important as setting goals for yourself, it is important that you and your team have a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve. You should set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.) goals.

This will help to keep everyone focused and on track.

Prioritize efficiently

A product manager should focus on the most important tasks. There are always a million things that need to be done, but not all of them are equally important. The product manager should prioritize the tasks that will have the biggest impact on the product.

There are many frameworks available to help a product manager prioritize tasks. You may choose one, many or even none of them. What is important is to stay consistent in your prioritization methodology. This will help your stakeholders and your teams understand what your approach is in determining what should be done to achieve the best of your product.

I will list down here some of the frameworks that I like to use.

Leveraged Neutral Overhead

Focus on tasks that have maximum leverage (impact)

Facebook’s 3 Questions

• What problem are we trying to solve?
• How do we know this is a real problem?
• How will we know if we’ve solved this problem?

You can find way more on this dedicated website:

https://www.product-frameworks.com/index.html

Delegate tasks

If you have team members, make sure you are delegating tasks that they can handle. This will free up your time to focus on more important tasks.

build a strong network of people you can rely on.

If you find yourself with too much on your plate, delegate! Product managers need to be good at delegating tasks. This will help you stay focused on the most important tasks and get help from others. Choose people who you trust to complete the tasks and provide clear instructions.

Stay organized

Another important productivity hack for product managers is to stay organized. Staying organized will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re meeting deadlines.

This means having a place for everything and keeping your work space clean.

A cluttered work space can lead to a cluttered mind, which will make you less productive.

This includes both your physical space and your digital space. Make sure your work area is clean and clutter-free. This will help you focus on your tasks. Additionally, keep your files and folders organized. This will help you find things quickly and avoid wasting time searching for things.

Eliminate distractions, Identify time-wasting activities

Turn off your email, close social media tabs, and put your phone silent. This will help you focus on the task at hand and get it done quicker.

Don’t Multi-Task

One of the biggest productivity killers is multi-tasking. When you try to do too many things at once, you end up doing all of them poorly. Instead of multi-tasking, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. You’ll be surprised at how much more you can get done.

This doesn’t mean fully completing a project before starting another! Be able to break down multiple smaller chunks, and then focus on a single chink at a time.

Keep things documented

Use PRD, minutes of meetings.

Keeping a journal can also help you track your progress and stay motivated. Every day, write down what you accomplished. This will help you see how much you’re getting done and give you a sense of satisfaction. And if you’re feeling stuck, looking back at your journal can help you identify what’s been holding you back.

Use tools

There are a lot of tools and resources available to help product managers be more productive. Utilize them!

• The Pomodoro Technique

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
  • The Pomodoro Technique is a time management strategy that can be used to increase productivity. It is based on the principle that if you break down your work into smaller chunks, you can get more done in less time.
  • The Pomodoro Technique is a great productivity hack for product managers because it can be used to break down a large project into smaller tasks. This makes it easier to focus on each task and get it done quickly.

• The Eisenhower Matrix

  • The Eisenhower Matrix is a time management tool that helps you prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. This is a great productivity hack for product managers because it can help you focus on the most important tasks first.
  • The Eisenhower Matrix is a great productivity hack for product managers because it can help you prioritize your work.

• Productivity Apps

  • There are a number of other productivity tools that product managers can use to their advantage, such as Jira, ClickUp, Basecamp, Asana, …
  • In Edenfarm, we use Larksuite (from the company that gave TikTok) to help us manage all our products.

Overcome obstacles and stay motivated

Improve your Well-Being

• Get Enough Sleep

  • It’s important to get enough sleep if you want to be productive. When you’re well-rested, you’ll be able to focus and get more done. So, make sure you’re getting enough sleep each night.

• Get up earlier

  • This may not be possible for everyone, but if you can make it happen, getting up earlier can be a game-changer. Use that extra time to get ahead on your work for the day, or use it to get some exercise in before starting your day. You’ll be surprised at how much more energized you feel when you start your day with a little bit of extra time.

• Take breaks throughout the day

  • Get up and walk around, get some fresh air, or take a quick power nap. These breaks will help you recharge and be more productive when you return to your work.
  • It’s important to take breaks when you’re working on a product. If you try to work non-stop, you’ll quickly become burnt out and your productivity will suffer. Take a few minutes every few hours to step away from your work and clear your head. Go for a walk, grab a coffee, or chat with a colleague. Taking breaks will help you stay refreshed and focused.

• Reward yourself

  • Once you accomplish a task, give yourself a small reward. This could be something like grabbing a coffee, or watching a short video. Rewarding yourself will help you stay motivated and productive.

Be flexible

Things change, and you need to be able to adapt. Don’t get too attached to your plan – be willing to make changes as necessary.

Be patient

Productivity doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and effort to see results. Be patient and stay focused on your goals.

Just start

It’s easy to get stuck in the planning phase and never actually start working on your goal. But the only way to get things done is to start. So, take a deep breath and just begin.

Believe in yourself

The most important productivity hack is to believe in yourself. You need to believe that you can get the job done. This positive attitude will help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. And if you’re feeling doubtful, remember that you’ve accomplished great things in the past. You can do it again!

Keep learning

Product managers need to be constantly learning to stay ahead of the curve. This means keeping up with industry news, reading blogs and articles, and attending conferences and webinars.

The benefits of being productive as a product manager

As a product manager, you are responsible for the success of your product. This means that you need to be productive in order to deliver results.

Being productive can help you get ahead of the competition. By being able to get more done in a day, you can put your products in a better position to succeed.

Increased Efficiency

When you are productive, you are able to get more done in a shorter amount of time. This means that you can be more efficient in your work, and get more done in a day.

This will help you meet deadlines. This is important because if you are not able to meet deadlines, your product may not be successful.

Improved Quality of Work

When you are productive, you are able to focus more on your work and produce a higher quality product. This is because you are able to spend more time on each task, and make sure that it is done correctly.

Greater Job Satisfaction

When you are productive, you are more likely to feel satisfied with your job. This is because you are able to accomplish more, and feel proud of your work.

Reduced Stress

When you are productive, you are less likely to feel overwhelmed by your work.

This is because:

• You will be able to complete tasks and meet deadlines with ease.
• You are able to get more done, and have a better handle on your workload.

Better Time Management

Time management is critical for product managers, as they often have to juggle multiple projects at once.

When you are productive, you are able to manage your time more effectively. This means that you can get more done in a day, and have more free time for other activities.

You will be able to get more work done in less time. This will allow you to have more time to focus on other aspects of your job, such as strategy and planning.

Stronger credibility with your team.

When you are productive, your team will see that you are able to get work done and that you are able to meet deadlines.

The dark side of productivity for a product manager

Productivity is often seen as a key success factor for product managers. After all, if a product manager can’t get things done, how can they expect to successfully manage a product? However, while productivity is important, it’s not the only thing that product managers need to focus on.

In fact, productivity can actually have a negative impact on a product manager’s career if it’s not managed properly. Here are three ways that productivity can backfire on product managers:

Productivity can lead to burnout

If a product manager is constantly pushing themselves to be more productive, they can quickly become burnt out. This can lead to them feeling overwhelmed and stressed, which can affect their ability to make decisions and do their job properly.

Productivity can make a product manager seem inflexible

If a product manager is too focused on being productive, they may seem inflexible to others. This can make it difficult to build relationships with other stakeholders and get buy-in for their ideas.

Productivity can make a product manager look like a robot

If a product manager is always focusing on productivity, they may start to seem like robots to others. This can make them seem cold and impersonal, which can damage their reputation and make it difficult to build trust with others.

Productivity is important for product managers, but it’s not the only thing that they need to focus on. Product managers need to strike a balance between productivity and other factors, such as relationships and reputation, to be successful.

The impact of productivity on a product manager’s career

The impact of productivity on a product manager’s career is huge.

By being able to manage their time and resources effectively, product managers can increase their chances of success.

A product manager who is able to get things done quickly and efficiently is going to be much more successful than one who struggles to get things done.

A productive product manager is able to get more done in less time, which can lead to promotions and raises. Additionally, a productive product manager is more likely to be able to take on more responsibility and projects, leading to a more successful career.