As Product Management continues to evolve, so do the roles and functions within the field. One such emerging trend is the utilization of Fractional Product Managers - highly qualified professionals who offer expertise and flexibility to product teams. As a Product Leader, embracing the concept of Fractional Product Managers can bring significant benefits to your organization. In this article, we will explore how Product Leaders can effectively integrate Fractional Product Managers into their team culture and operations, leveraging their focus and expertise to achieve exceptional outcomes.
Fractional Product Managers can add a powerful benefit to your company and product team. However, how you work with your Fractional Product Manager will also determine the success of using them. There are distinct differences between a full-time employee (FTE) and a Fractional Product Manager. These differences not only highlight their unique strengths and benefits but also emphasize the need to manage them differently. Understanding and adapting to these differences will ensure a fruitful collaboration and make the most of their expertise.
Here is a list of key practices we have found effective when working with many product leaders who were new to Fractional Product Managers:
1. Embrace the Power of Focus:
The primary strength of a Fractional Product Manager lies in their focused approach. You are bring in a product expert to concentrate on a specific project or outcome. To maximize the value of your Fractional Product Manager, provide clear priorities with well-defined desired outcomes. This alignment ensures that the Fractional PM can direct their attention and energy towards achieving the intended goals. Examples of areas that might require focused attention include reducing SSO implementation time by 50%, conducting discovery around a specific product hypothesis, or covering for an employee on parental leave to ensure continuity in engineering and design progress. By clearly communicating the scope of their focus and expected results, you enable the Fractional Product Manager to excel and make substantial progress towards the defined objectives.
2. Facilitate Access to Relevant Material and Key Stakeholders:
To ensure the Fractional Product Manager can hit the ground running, provide them with access to essential materials and key individuals possessing crucial knowledge about the project area. While they might not need to meet everyone in the organization, introduce them to the key stakeholders relevant to their focus area. This will enable them to gather insights efficiently and build valuable connections. You will find by doing this that the Fractional Product Manager will be proficient sooner than you expected.
3. Keep Them out Of Office Politics:
One of the great benefits of having a Fractional Product Manager is their ability to focus their attention and time on the project and outcomes rather than getting entangled in office politics, to the extent possible. Since they are brought in for a specific purpose, their main objective is to drive results and deliver value to the team. By keeping them away from unnecessary politics, you allow them to concentrate on the tasks at hand and ensure their efforts are optimally utilized.
4. Reduce Meeting Load:
As a Product Leader, be mindful of the Fractional PM's time and expertise. While relationship building is crucial to success, they don't need to be present in every meeting that doesn't directly relate to their focus area. Avoid overburdening them with meetings that add only marginal value to their work. Instead, invite them only to meetings where tangible progress is being made or crucial decisions are being taken. By reducing their meeting load to essential ones, you enable them to dedicate more time to their core responsibilities and deliver results effectively.
5. Give them Regular Feedback:
As with any team member, providing regular feedback is essential to help Fractional Product Managers perform at their best. Since their engagement is often for a limited duration, it's crucial not to waste time on long feedback loops. Be proactive in offering direct feedback, both positive and constructive. Clearly communicate areas where you appreciate their work and acknowledge their contributions. Equally important is being transparent about areas where you would like to see different approaches or improvements. Timely feedback allows Fractional PMs to make necessary adjustments swiftly and deliver even better results during their tenure.
Conclusion:
Fractional Product Managers offer Product Leaders a powerful resource to enhance team capabilities, drive focus, and achieve exceptional outcomes on targeted projects. By embracing this flexible approach and leveraging the expertise of Fractional PMs, Product Leaders can access highly qualified talent and adapt their teams to meet the evolving demands of Product Management. Effectively integrating Fractional Product Managers into the team culture and operations requires clear communication, well-defined focus areas, and open collaboration. By following the outlined guidelines, Product Leaders can harness the power of Fractional Product Managers and take their product development initiatives to new heights of success. Embrace the changing landscape of Product Management, and the rewards will be well worth the effort.
