PRODUCTHEAD: Communication toolkit recap

million dollar product

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tl;dr

In case you missed it: recap of the communication toolkit

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a favour: please share this with other product people

every PRODUCTHEAD edition is online for you to refer back to

hello

Just a quick one for you this week as I’m also working on a longer form article for I Manage Products.

In the article I’ll be looking at billion dollar platforms, the ingredients for their success, and what you need to make your platform product a success also. I’ll publish it on the website on Wednesday morning (UK time). If you’d like it delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for the separate, long-form mailing over on I Manage Products.

Moving on — while everyone was on their summer vacation, you may have missed a series of PRODUCTHEAD editions covering one of the most important skill sets for a product manager: communication.

There are five skills in the toolkit:

1. Active listening

2. How to read more effectively

3. Writing for the needs of your audience

4. Efficient note-taking

5. Presenting to inform, educate and entertain

As always, for each topic you’ll find my usual article coupled with the links to other great content I’ve curated for you. It’s always worth brushing up on the fundamentals.

Speak to you soon,

Jock

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what to think about this week

Active listening

» Being a better listener can improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate

» Psychological safety partly depends on your team feeling they are being listened to

Communication toolkit #1

[PRODUCTHEAD / I Manage Products]

How to read more effectively

» Read a format that suits you best, whether physical or digital

» As you read, ask yourself questions of the content to keep yourself engaged with it

» Analytical reading allows you to understand, then accept or reject the key idea being presented

» F-shaped reading occurs on web content because people are short on time or engagement

Communication toolkit #2

[PRODUCTHEAD / I Manage Products]

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Writing for the needs of your audience

» What you write online is there to serve the users’ needs

» Writing for the web = using short sentences

» People read differently on the web than they do on paper

» Tools exist to help make your writing easier to understand

Communication toolkit #3

[PRODUCTHEAD / I Manage Products]

Efficient note-taking

» A mind map is helpful for noting non-linear information

» The Cornell note-taking method can be useful for learning

» Sketchnotes allow more effective visual communication

Communication toolkit #4

[PRODUCTHEAD / I Manage Products]

Presenting to inform, educate and entertain

» Story structure and the right content give your presenting more impact

» Try to create presentations that captivate, not subdue

» A perception audit helps narrow the gap between how you perceive yourself and how others see you

» Good breathing technique when speaking both calms you and produces a better sound

Communication toolkit #5

[PRODUCTHEAD / I Manage Products]

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PRODUCTHEAD is a newsletter for product people of all varieties, and is lovingly crafted from piles of second-hand books.