Overview

In my role as a product manager, I managed up to three products, significantly expanding my scope to oversee the review and feedback processes for over 30,000 employees. My responsibilities encompassed strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and refining strategic directions into actionable quarterly milestones. At McKinsey and Company, I tackled the unique challenges of the evaluation and feedback domain, aiming to create a unified experience that accommodated diverse regional and tenure-related variations. On a day-to-day basis, I collaborated closely with designers, researchers, and developers, leading agile development processes and initiatives with an entrepreneurial mindset. As a team leader, I focused on building a supportive and high-performing team environment, emphasizing team members' growth and career advancement. My journey illustrates a dynamic shift from design to a comprehensive product management role, underscoring my adaptability and leadership across various

Transition to Product Management

My Journey into Product Management

My professional journey took a significant turn when I transitioned into product management. This move was driven by a desire to influence the entire product lifecycle and be involved in every facet of the process. Starting out as a product manager for two products, I quickly advanced to managing three, embracing the complexities and challenges of overseeing multiple product lines simultaneously.

Expanding Influence and Responsibilities

As a product manager, my responsibilities broadened considerably. I became instrumental in supporting the review and feedback process for over 40,000 employees, taking full control over the strategic direction and day-to-day development of the product lifecycle. This role demanded a deep engagement with a wide range of stakeholders to determine product direction and support various review committees effectively.

Strategic Planning and Execution

Defining Strategic Directions

In defining the strategic direction, I broke down our goals into quarterly milestones, conducting thorough planning sessions to scope the work and project deliverables within specific timeframes. These sessions involved engaging with stakeholders, designers, developers, and change managers to refine the scope of work, ensuring the outcome and impact of each deliverable were clearly defined and understood.

From Planning to Development

The planning phase further evolved into breaking down the work into Epics and Stories, enabling the development team to determine what needed to be progressively developed. This meticulous process ensured that our team remained aligned with the project goals and could effectively manage expectations and deliverables with stakeholders.

Quarterly Planning Miro Board

Navigating the Unique Evaluation and Feedback Domain

Creating a Unified Experience

At McKinsey and Company, the evaluation and feedback domain presented unique challenges. We aimed to create an experience that could align with the different variations and flexibility required across regions and tenures. Our products became a part of an ecosystem designed to facilitate specific steps in the review journey, focusing primarily on the review stage. Our goal was to provide a best-in-class review experience for a diverse set of profiles within the company.

Maintaining Integrity and Supporting the Review Process

In addition to creating a unified experience, our team was dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the tools supporting the review process. This involved ensuring the stability of the application, performance of transactions, and directly supporting review committees through their configuration and review processes.

Day-to-Day Management and Team Leadership

Agile Development and Team Interaction

My daily responsibilities included working closely with the development team to refine business asks into stories for 2-week sprints, ensuring all information was thoroughly discussed and designs were finalized. As a Product Manager/Product Owner, I ensured that the team worked towards a sprint goal, managing the backlog efficiently, and conducting acceptance testing to ensure the developed work met our high standards.

Engaging with Designers, Researchers, and Developers

I maintained constant touchpoints with designers, researchers, and developers, leveraging my background in design to facilitate discussions and co-create ideas. Periodic calls with researchers helped identify upcoming initiatives, while discussions with developers focused on technical solutions and troubleshooting.

Digital Evaluation

Digital Feedback

Entrepreneurial Mindset and Team Building

Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset, I led new initiatives, such as addressing potential bias in written feedback, requiring engagement with a diverse group of stakeholders. My role extended to team leadership, focusing on building a high-performing team, fostering a sense of belonging, and supporting team members' growth and career advancement. This comprehensive experience beyond my design background has been invaluable, shaping me into a versatile product manager capable of leading and executing complex projects.

Key Learnings

Adaptability is Crucial: Transitioning from design to product management taught me the importance of adaptability. The ability to navigate new domains, learn quickly, and adjust strategies in response to feedback and changing circumstances has been fundamental to my success.
Strategic Planning is a Collaborative Process: Developing and refining strategic plans is not a solitary task. It requires collaboration with stakeholders from various domains. Engaging with over 50 stakeholders taught me the value of diverse perspectives in shaping a product's direction and ensuring its alignment with user needs and organizational goals.
Effective Communication Bridges Gaps: Working across different areas of expertise highlighted the importance of effective communication. Being able to convey technical details to non-technical stakeholders and vice versa ensured alignment and facilitated smoother project execution.
Leadership Beyond Authority: Leading initiatives and a high-performing team emphasized the lesson that leadership extends beyond formal authority. It involves fostering a sense of belonging, supporting team members' growth, and driving initiatives forward through influence rather than mandate.
Continuous Learning from Feedback: The evaluation and feedback domain at McKinsey and Company underscored the lesson that there's always room for improvement. Continuous learning from user feedback and iterative product enhancements are crucial for meeting diverse needs and maintaining high standards of quality and user experience.
Entrepreneurial Mindset Fuels Innovation: Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset within a large organization encouraged me to take ownership of new initiatives and be proactive in identifying and addressing gaps. This approach led to innovative solutions and improvements, demonstrating that entrepreneurship can thrive in various settings.
Technical and Design Skills are Complementary: My background in design and technical knowledge have been mutually reinforcing. These skills enabled me to engage effectively with both creative and technical teams, facilitating discussions, troubleshooting, and ensuring that designs were both user-centric and technically feasible.