How to kick off your next Product Manager job

Joining a new org as a Product Manager always induces a lot of fear and self-doubt. The fact that your new team doesn’t know you and might not trust you doesn’t help. How to survive this?

Well, for one thing, there is nothing to be afraid of! It’s normal to be a little scared initially and feel overwhelmed with all the new information and people being dumped on you.

Start by realizing, that you already earned a credit of trust during the recruitment process. You have beaten hundreds if not thousands of people to the role. It’s not only your CV, but your people skills, communication, and being able to come up with great answers under pressure that got you there.

The company paid SO MUCH to get you and the investment is not over. No one expects you to be at your best for the next 3 (even 6, sometimes 12) months.

But how do you get to the point where you turn from creepy Zuck to cool guy Zuck? Here are some of the actions you need to take other than chill for a while:

1) Connect with your team on a personal level.
Take time to learn about your team members beyond their roles. Find out what excites them, what challenges they face, and how they like to work. A little empathy goes a long way in building trust.