How Great Product Managers Make Better Decisions: A Habitual Approach

As the new year comes around we all start to reflect on the year past, both personally and professionally. New-year-resolutions are made to help us improve ourselves and make better decisions next year.

It’s no secret that making seemingly small — but consistent — decisions about your day-to-day behaviour can lead to large and meaningful changes in your life and character. It’s a form of training by repeating habits.

To be a better product manager and make meaningful change and impact in your product, you need to focus on your habits too.

“Small drops and finally a flood”

- Unattributed Tamil Quote

Success as a Product Manager

Most people’s measurement of results and achievements are retrospective assessments against goals they set themselves. Most products are also managed in a time-bound and goal-oriented way. Retain X more users, increase downloads by Y, convert Z more sales. So a great product manager is often defined as one who achieves their goals.

A ‘great mountaineer’ is one who summits. But what does it take to climb the mountain?

By measuring in this retrospective way, we often forget or ignore what it takes to actually get there. Completion of goals comes from a build up of the right kinds of…