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From the Archives: That “All the Responsibility, None of the Authority” Saying

by The Cranky Product Manager on November 5, 2010

in Development,The PM Profession

One benefit from posting nearly 200 articles over the years is that republishing an old post gives the Cranky Product Manager the opportunity to laze about in her PJs and eat bon bons while watching the latest episode of Hoarders.  

Here's an oldie (but hopefully a goodie), from November 2006.  (Interesting to see how the writing style has changed over time.  The crankiness, however, has not changed one bit.)

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"The most challenging thing about product management is that you have all the responsibility but none of the authority," the job candidate said. Quite satisfied with his answer to the Cranky Product Manager's stock interview question, the candidate flashed her a knowing, gleaming white smile. That was the signal. The Cranky Product Manager was supposed to epileptically shake her head in agreement and, at last, connect with the candidate.

No such luck. Instead, she rolled her eyes... Not the best manners for an interviewer, but seeing as the Cranky Product Manager is not exactly a, well, refined individual, she had no control over her clichéd response to his clichéd answer. The Cranky Product Manager already heard two other candidates spin the same old tired yarn that morning. In fact, she read a version of that I'm-a-powerless-product-manager-woe-is-me tale on at least one other blog that week.

But worse than trite, overused and unoriginal, this sentiment -- universally shared by the world's lamest and whiniest product managers, and even by some of the good ones -- is way too self-congratulatory and is just plain wrong.

Yes, as a product manager, you are indeed responsible.  Your job is to corral and coordinate the hoards of Code Boys/Grrls, QA Drones, Marketing "Geniuses", SalesDroids, Professional Services Slaves, support engineers, writers, finance weenies, and more -- the entire cast of characters needed to successfully bring kick-ass products to market.

And, yes, as a product manager, it is true that you rarely have authority. No one (except maybe a few junior product managers) reports to you. You can't fire people for not taking your orders.

Cartman has *All the Responsibility but None of the Authority* But here's the thing... SO WHAT!?  So these people don't report to you. So they don't have to respect your au-thor-i-tah.  Big frakin' DEAL! If they DID report to you, do you honestly think your job would be any easier?  Do you think they'd magically start listening to you and doing what you say?

Last time the Cranky Product Manager checked, high tech product folk, no matter what their job functions, were not minimum wage workers. As intellect workers, high tech-ians don't do anything  just because their bosses command it.

Nope. Those damn independent thinkers need to be persuaded. They need to buy into the plan and then they act. Sure, sure, those folks might occasionally placate the powers-that-be by half-heartedly lying there, closing their eyes, and thinking of England. But that kind of soulless attempt to merely get the boss off, uh, your back... well, it's usually worse than no attempt at all.

So, in this respect, those other "real" managers -- and by "real" I mean managers who officially manage people -- have just as tough a job as product managers. Probably tougher. People managers must ALSO corral and coordinate their people, and get them to do things that they wouldn't normally consider if left to their own devices. Like product managers, they legitimately do so ONLY by persuading and inspiring. NOT by fear nor the unspoken threat of bad performance reviews or firings. NOT by flexing their so-called "authority."

In fact, as someone experienced in both people and product management, let the Cranky Product Manager assure you that the only effective difference between a manager with "authority" and a manager without is that with authority comes a lot of tedious crap: paperwork galore, performance reviews ad nauseam, mind-numbing sexual harassment seminars, and -- most dishearteningly -- the occasional hell of laying off a subordinate who does a great job .

So, whiney product managers of the world, STOP bitching about "all the responsibility with none of the authority" right now. Get out of your minimum-wage-oriented headset and recognize that official authority is irrelevant to anyone in high tech companies. Instead consider, even if briefly, that your difficulty in getting others to follow your lead might be because your arguments are not compelling.

Or maybe, just maybe, they don't listen because they know you think of them as minions who are motivated by fear.

In other words, maybe you're a jerk.

{ 14 comments }

On Engineering Meetings (redux)

by The Cranky Product Manager on January 15, 2009

in Development

The Cranky PM is finally getting up the energy to respond to comments on her older blog posts.  In particular, those from a certain reader who keeps inflicting violent disagreement on her.

What THE???  Who does he think he IS?  How DARE HE disagree with the Cranky Product Manager?  When is he (along with the Cranky Product Manager’s husband) going to at LAST learn that THE CRANKY PRODUCT MANAGER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. This is a fundamental LAW of the universe.  Truly.

Anyway, here is one of the violent comments that has the Cranky Product Manager’s knickers in a twist.  It is on the Divine Rules of Product Management #1: Prepping for Engineering Meetings post.

sushidudexsmall-300x198 Bribing Software Developers with SushiYou know, the post where the Cranky Product Manager said (in a much more long-winded fashion), “If you’re going to meet with the Engineering Team and you suspect the meeting is going to be contentious because some/all will be surprised or disagree with your recommendations, then make your case with each team member individually ahead of time so that the meeting goes smoothly.”

To be perfectly clear, the Cranky Product Manager was NOT suggesting the following:

  • That you BRIBE engineers using free food. Her point was that you discuss the issues with individual engineers in an INFORMAL setting. If you can do this by playing some (free) Nintendo Wii with them, then fine, do that.  (Note that the Cranky PM usually does not pay when she lunches with engineers; everyone pays for him/herself.  Of course, this only works if you mostly ask developers to agenda-free lunches. Otherwise they’ll be suspicious every time you ask them to lunch.)
  • That you meet with individual engineers prior to EVERY meeting with Engineering.  It’s only mandatory before the meetings you expect will be contentious.  (Note, though, that if you frequently meet and socialize with individual developers, you can expect less and less contentious meetings over time.)

Anyway, who could have guessed anyone would disagree with the idea of meeting with engineers individually before contentious meetings?  Not the Cranky Product Manager.

During the Cranky Product Manager’s days as a hoity-toity management consultant in the McBainCG Group, this practice was called “the meetings before the meeting” and was regarded as fundamental.  The goal of Big Meetings was to get the client team officially on-board and start them moving forward with the McBainCG Group’s recommendations.  Without the “meetings before the meeting,” getting this “Let’s Go” decision was very unlikely.

Why not?

Well, first, many people — especially engineers — pride themselves on being these paragons of rational thinking (this is called self-delusion). These folks CANNOT say “let’s do it” without trying to poke holes in your arguments for a while — sometimes a LONG while, as in hours.

Second, without “meetings before the meetings,” you are leaving an awful lot — too much — to chance.  The meeting and your entire project could go to hell because someone has an objection you hadn’t anticipated and you say something stupid.  Or this common situation: an engineer is surprised by your findings and has a visceral emotional reaction against the “surprise” aspect, but instead of complaining about the surprise, s/he shoots down your findings, in public. Then, the meeting ends before you can make a proper rebuttal.  Great. Now you’ll have to work five times as hard to convert this person to your course of action.  And if this person is respected or influential, well you gotta work on other people too.

Now, as far as Saeed’s assertion that in a “rational” engineering organization, the developers will fall in line and do what PM recommends, the Cranky Product Manager says:

  1. The “rational” engineering organization does not exist because it is made of people, and people are inherently irrational.
  2. The so-called rational Development Team might do what you recommend even if they disagree with you. But if you want them to do a GOOD or possibly even GREAT job, if you want to keep them motivated, and if you want FUTURE projects with them to go well, then you will spend the time to convince them your recommendations are the right ones.
  3. It’s much easier to be a PM if you have the loyalty and respect of the Development Team. You get that respect by giving it – by listening to others’ opinions and learning about them as people.   And don’t only talk to your developers when you want something from them.  Seriously, that makes you a user and abuser.
  4. If you know the Development Team is going to fall in line with your recommendations because they are “rational” or will buy into your recommendations, the meeting won’t be contentious will it?  So, maybe this Divine Rule doesn’t apply.

Paul Young commented that these “meetings before the meetings” take a lot of time and are really only worthwhile with the lead developer/architect (not the junior developers).  Well, again, the Cranky Product Manager respectfully disagrees.  In her experience, junior developers that are not “sold” on the PM’s recommendations are often very disruptive to the actual project (even if they are quiet in the meeting) and spread all kinds of negativity.  This varies of course, but many young developers (especially those hailing from elite “Institutes of Technology”) are Hotshot types who think they are smarter than everyone else — ESPECIALLY product managers.

Solomon commented “I bet Cranky Product Manager is Asian.”  Well, maybe, but maybe not. Is this comment because the CPM’s tactics provide ways for engineers and product managers alike to avoid losing face in a public forum?  Or is it because she clearly likes sushi?  Explain?

Paco commented that the “meetings before the meetings” were important for engineers, but maybe not for other types of business professionals.  Well, the Cranky Product Manager only partially agrees.  Engineers are special because they like to think they are super-rational and analytical and love poking holes in arguments, and thus need to be given plenty of time to do this.  Further, their unique role makes it easier for them to obfuscate what they are really doing.

However, “meetings before the meetings” and getting buy-in are important for ANY meeting you think will be contentious.  NEVER surprise ANYONE – - no matter their role – at a Big Meeting where you’re seeking “Let’s Do It” approval.  Yes, this means the CEO. Find a way to give him/her a preview of what you’ll say ahead of time.

Anyway, this whole thing reminds the Cranky Product Manager of a post she wrote two years ago entitled “That All the Responsibility But No Authority” Saying.  Check it out.

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