I’m writing about one hundred things I’ve learned about being a product manager.
“Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares?… He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes.”
Billy Connolly
Empathy is something every product manager needs to be able to do their job well. Without it, it’s impossible to be sure what matters most to your target market and how valuable a solution to their problems will be. Empathise!
By putting yourself in their shoes, you can understand their concerns
When you’re speaking with someone, empathy gives you an edge: by putting yourself in their shoes, you can understand their concerns with the proposal you’re pitching and pre-empt their objections. This is the case whether you’re explaining your roadmap to a valued customer, convincing a salesperson that being the first to sell your new product won’t come back to bite them in the ass, or presenting your business case to the Board.
So put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re speaking with. Just don’t walk off with them.