Emily finds that a mix of four different elements work well to help you refine your thinking and develop your craft: exposure, practice, inspiration, and support.

Exposure

If you look outside your company, you can see what other people are trying, learn from their experiences, and bring new ways of thinking to your work. Getting exposure to new practices can be self-guided and fairly low-effort, Emily says.

Practice

Practice allows you to dig into the skills you need to develop in a more focused way, she says. “Be intentional in trying new things as you go about your normal work. Discover what works for you and tweak things that don’t. This will let you integrate new techniques and (hopefully) improve the way you practice product management.”

Inspiration

For Emily, inspiration typically comes in the form of conferences and other bigger events. She says: “Having a day or two to step out of your regular work, hear some new ideas and stories from interesting speakers, and meeting other people who are facing the same challenges can give an infusion of excitement and re-energise your spirit.”

Support

As Emily says, product management is a team sport, and so is personal development. She advises looking beyond your manager for different perspectives.  Professional coaches, mentors and peer groups, internal communities of practice in your company, local meetups, and membership communities are all great ways to get support.

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