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All articles by David W. Locke
Product Manager Career Goals Survey.
Cub Noozer
1. As a person working in product management, what is the next step in your career?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|
|
VP of Product Management |
35% |
|
Product Manager |
15% |
|
Sr. Product Manager |
12% |
|
Product Strategist |
12% |
|
VP of Marketing |
8% |
|
Product Marketing Manager |
4% |
|
CMO |
4% |
|
Entrepreneur |
4% |
|
Exit Field |
4% |
|
Unknown |
4% |
|
Brand Manager |
0% |
|
COO |
0% |
|
CEO |
0% |
|
VC |
0% |
|
Total |
100% |
|
Mean |
7% |
2. Do you have a strategy to achieve this career goal?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|
|
Yes |
71% |
|
No |
29% |
|
Total |
100% |
3. Does your employer provide programs and capabilities that will enable your desired career transition?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|
|
Yes |
17% |
|
No |
83% |
|
Total |
100% |
Comments on employer provided programs by those that responded yes included the following:
1. It is very anecdotal, reactionary, and unorganized, however; there are opportunities available for me to optimize and achieve my desired career transition
2. They do have a leadership training program however this is annoyingly designated only for staff with "direct reports" and a product team unfortunately does not qualify.
3. Training programs
4. Ability to take training
4. How will you align yourself with your organizations programs and capabilities, so you can achieve your career goal? Answers included the following:
1. Understanding the Executive team's priorities, the customer base's priorities, & the priorities of prospects within targeted markets and aligning them all.
2. I plan to attempt, again, to force my way into the training program. 
In all seriousness, my plan is to point out that in my current position I won't have direct reports until I am in a Director or VP role and in order to develop the skills I need to be successful in that role I should begin training now.
3. Toronto Product Management Association, looking at PDMA certification, blogs on social web membership.
4. It's all up to me deciding to do it (instead of changing careers completely, which is more likely and actually in progress)
5. I don't know.
6. The plan is to continue demonstrating my value and to never get complacent.
7. Studying internal needs and culture, and working over it adapting external best practices
8. I am currently the only Product Manager in my organization, but I am responsible for the comprehensive product strategy, solution engineering, and marketing for our next-generation solution that is intended to become the foundation for our organization's growth over the next 5 to 10 years.
9. Personal Initiative, risk taking
10. Look for a suitable organization
11. I have no expectations of achieving this goal within the confines of my current organization. As a director level PM - I am trying to learn as much as possible about the operational side of the VP Marketing's role. My product and market knowledge continue to grow.
12. I leverage pretty much everything they have to offer.
13. Just have to ask for it and make a case for investing in me as an employee - even if it is outside of annual review time.
14. There are no programs or career paths where I work. I would have to venture elsewhere to do what I want to do.
15. Joining industry groups, taking on tasks to expand my skills.
16. I will leave my current employer to achieve this goal.
5..How can your organization align its programs and capabilities with your career goal?
Answers included the following:
1. Not organization's responsibility. It is my responsibility. n/a - I am currently sans organization
2. Organization too small.
3. Not associated with an organization.
4. Do not know.
5. Provide options for external training. Although I've never asked if we offer this, I've never been told we do either.
6. Setting up career plan (on going) and continuous coaching
7. By opening its mind to the new ways of marketing and resourcing it appropriately
8. Allowing the Product team to get out there and try things that are different (or uncomfortable) would give me the flexibility to really make a difference and find that next great product within our space. A win like that would have a huge impact on our organization and my resume!
9. They could provide more funding for training or additional opportunities for growth.
10. It works pretty well at the lower levels but once you pass VP, you have to manage your own career. There is only 1 CMO.
6. Have you aligned your sponsors, mentors, personal board with
your career goal?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|
|
No |
25% |
|
Some |
50% |
|
All |
21% |
|
Total |
96% |
7. Have you aligned your immediate boss with your career goal?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|
|
Yes |
50% |
|
No |
50% |
|
Total |
100% |
8. Have you aligned your line management chain with your career goal?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
||
|
No |
14 |
58% |
|
Some |
6 |
25% |
|
All |
3 |
13% |
|
Total |
23 |
96% |
9. Are you well connected laterally across and through out your company for the purposes of achieving your career goal?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|||
|
No |
8% |
|
|
|
Some |
71% |
|
|
|
All |
21% |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Total |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|||
10. Are you networking externally to support your career goal?
|
Percent of Total Responses |
|
|
Yes |
88% |
|
No |
13% |
|
Total |
100% |
| David W. Locke - Jun 25, 2009 6:41 pm |  | ||
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