The art of clarifying in product management

Driving clarity is a skill product managers at all levels can benefit from mastering

We all know that person- someone who manages to ask an insightful question at just the right time in a product discussion, leading to better outcomes.

When I started my first product management job fresh out of college, I was surrounded by experienced PMs who were great at asking clarifying questions, which would help teams navigate product debates and decisions. Yet, it was hard to de-construct the skill behind this- how did one learn to ask the right clarifying question at the appropriate time?

Now, I apply a simple 3-step approach that helps me drive more clarity in product conversations.

1- Listen and understand

This sounds intuitive, yet it is surprising how many people will jump into a conversation with an already formulated opinion on the subject at hand. Take a few minutes to listen in, understand the context behind the conversation, what the team might have already explored, so you understand the history and the point at which you are joining the conversation.

This helps you figure out what is the topic that needs clarifying and builds trust with the team because you have taken the time to understand their context.

In a large number of cases, debate in product decision making arises from misalignment on the problem or misalignment on goals.

2- Build a shared interpretation of the problem

Individual team members who are closer to the problem can sometimes get tangled up in debating the details. You can bring people back to the core of the problem at hand by asking questions that help build shared understanding. Some examples:

• What problem are we trying to solve?

• Who would benefit most if we were to solve this problem?

• How do they get around this problem today?

• What is the impact of this problem?

• Why is this problem worth solving right now?

3- Refine goals

At the heart of all great product work is intention. We build products to meet certain goals and establishing clarity on what those are can help many a conversation. Some examples:

• What decision will we make that uses the outcome of this experiment? Will we decide differently had we not run this experiment?

• Which company goal does this product help make progress towards?

• How will this product impact our goal?

• What are good indicators that we are on the right track?

Other tactics I use to help clarify and get people unstuck are:

• Naming the situation: Let’s imagine you launch a product and it doesn’t gain the traction you’d hoped for. This is a common point where people can get stuck on what the path forward should be. Naming different possible scenarios can help clarify those next steps, e.g.:

  • Is the product hard to discover for the intended audience?

  • Does the product miss on solving the problem for our audience?

  • Does the product solve a problem that is not top of mind for our audience?

• Repetition to clear ambiguity: Have you ever left a meeting thinking you’ve gained alignment on a topic, but later find out you had a different interpretation of the discussion as compared to another stakeholder? Following up on key meetings with a note that summarizes the decisions and remaining open questions can be a great clarifying move.

If all else fails, you can always fall back to these time tested techniques (mostly kidding).

How do you help drive clarity in your day to day work? Share your thoughts below!