The first 90 days are the perfect time to ask questions, but not just any questions. They must be right.
Since I have just completed my very own first 90 days in a new Product Manager (PM) role, when things are still fresh in mind, I thought I would compile some of my takeaways for other PMs to consider in their own onboarding journey.
Regardless of whether one is a brand new or seasoned PM, the first 90 days are going to be a crucial ramp-up period. Naturally, there are lots of questions to be asked. As new joiners, you and I have the perfect excuse for not knowing the context of just about anything.
It is indeed the perfect time to ask questions, but not just any questions. Asking the right questions at this stage is much more important than absorbing information because information without context is just noise.
Then, how do we ask the right questions?
Use 5 Ws and 1 H framework to create questions
I find the good old 5 Ws — 1H framework really helpful in mapping out what I do not know. There main objective that all new PMs should hope to accomplish within these 90 days is to get up-to-speed with the job function. As a result, I suggest the following set of 5 Ws — 1H questions new PMs should strive to seek answers to.
There will definitely be many more questions beyond these. Nonetheless, they are a good start. As each of these seemingly simple questions is unpacked, more questions will emerge.
For example, while asking “what are the key areas of my product that I should focus on”, one might ask “what exactly is my product?” and “how to define key areas”. This helps new PMs focus their energy on knowledge domains that are the most critical at the moment.
Asking “who are my stakeholders” and “where can I get the information required” is often more important than the gazillion of facts that you try to cramp into your head.
For instance, it might not be very helpful to memorize the incident priority definition, i.e. what kind of issues is critical vs trivial and their corresponding service level agreement.
What might be more beneficial at this stage is to know where to find the documents containing the definition so when there is a need to look it up, you will be able to retrieve it immediately.
Similarly, it will be relatively more effective to remember that Jack is the customer experience team lead. Even if you forget everything about incident priority and which document the definition is written in, Jack will probably be able to point you in the right direction.
Deal with feeling overwhelmed by writing down even more questions
Did I take you by surprise?
During the first few weeks on the job, it is unavoidable to feel like drowning in the sea of information.
First of all, embrace it. It is normal. And have the confidence that your head will be above the water in no time.
Second of all, as and when a new question pops into your head, no matter how trivial, note it down in a document (electronic or physical).
This is incredibly effective in clearing your head because your mental mess is unloaded onto another medium. By writing the questions down, you will have the peace of mind that they have been accounted for instead of having all these doubts floating in your mental space and driving your anxiety level up.
At the end of the week, sort through the questions and put them into some simple categories. You will be surprised to find that many questions have been answered during the course of the week and many more questions answers to which though you do not yet know, you know who will have the information.
Not too early to care about career development
Contrary to popular beliefs, it is not too early to find out as much information about career progression as possible during the first 90 days. Some may say this is something they have already asked during the interview process. But the information you get back then is just an overview. Now that you are an insider, it is time to find out things like job levelling, performance evaluation criteria, promotions, as well as who the high-fliers are.
Using the same 5Ws — 1H framework, here are the questions on career development you can ask.
Set up 1-on-1 meetings with stakeholders
Reach out to the people whom you will work closely with as well as any co-workers whom you are interested in getting to know better. Ask for 1-on-1 meetings. Physical meetings are better but Zoom works just fine.
In your messages and meeting invitations, introduce yourself and your position. Explain that you are new to the team and would like to understand their role better to facilitate future collaboration.
A challenge I faced when organizing virtual 1-on-1 meetings is the urge to have a clear agenda. The impromptuness of an informal catch-up is somewhat lost when I have to send out a calendar invite. The problem was that I did not know enough about the other person’s role to know what to ask.
Something I found really useful is to explain to them what my work is about and ask for advice on which areas in their domain they think I should be aware of. That helps focus the conversation on what is relevant to both parties.
Check with your manager weekly if you are on track
It will be ideal to have a weekly catch-up with your manager at the beginning to make sure that your onboarding is on track.
Instead of simply asking “am I on track?”, it is more effective to summarize things you have completed, and very importantly, what you plan to focus on next. Then ask for feedback on your plan.
Your manager should be able to point out any key areas you miss out or give you the assurance that your priorities are correct.
If your managers are not as hands-on as you would hope them to be, it is even more important to communicate all of the above through a weekly email.
Final words
It could be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing to think about the first 90 days on the job. But have the faith that you will get through them with flying colours. Hope that you will find my insights helpful in achieving your first 90-day milestone.
If you are considering a career switch to product management, or if you are a PM searching for the next adventure and would like to have someone partner you in the preparation process, do check out my PM interview preparation service here.
