How do you handle conflicting priorities?

Conflicting priorities are a common challenge for product managers. Balancing various demands from stakeholders, customers, and teams is critical for achieving product success.

Understand the Core Issue

First, understand why conflicting priorities happen. This helps address the main problem, not just the symptoms. Usually, conflicts arise because of:

- Limited resources (time, money, manpower)

- External pressures from stakeholders or clients

- Internal pressures from different departments or team members

- Unclear goals, different views or misaligned expectations

The Role of Communication in Resolving Conflicts

Good communication is key in managing conflicts, especially with conflicting priorities. Here are strategies to use:

1: Active Listening

Active listening means fully concentrating on what the other person says, understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and remembering the conversation. This helps in grasping the real concerns behind conflicting priorities.

- Focus on the Speaker: Pay full attention to the person speaking, avoiding distractions.

- Reflect and Paraphrase: Repeat back what you’ve heard to confirm understanding.

- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage further explanation and exploration of their perspective.

Tip 2: Clear and Concise Communication

Be clear and concise in your communication. Ambiguity leads to misunderstandings. Make sure your message is straightforward and the reasons behind your priorities are well explained.

- Use Simple Language: Avoid jargon and complex terms.

- Be Direct: State your points clearly and directly.

- Provide Context: Explain the reasons behind your priorities and decisions.

Tip 3: Empathy and Understanding

Show empathy towards the other person’s perspective. Understanding their point of view helps find common ground and resolve conflicts.

- Acknowledge Feelings: Recognize and validate the emotions involved.

- Demonstrate Understanding: Show that you understand their perspective and concerns.

- Avoid Judgment: Refrain from making judgments or assumptions about their motives.

Tip 4: Structured Discussions

Structure your discussions to cover all relevant points and prevent the conversation from going off track. This is useful in meetings where conflicting priorities are addressed.

- Set an Agenda: Outline the main points to be discussed.

- Stick to the Topic: Keep the conversation focused on the issues at hand.

- Summarize Key Points: Regularly summarize the discussion to ensure clarity and agreement.

Tip 5: Collaborative Problem-Solving

Adopt a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Involve all relevant parties in the discussion and work together to find a mutually acceptable solution.

- Brainstorm Solutions: Generate a range of possible solutions.

- Evaluate Options Together: Assess the pros and cons of each option as a team.

- Agree on Action Steps: Decide on the next steps collaboratively and assign responsibilities.

Establish Your North Star

A North Star is your guiding principle or main goal. It can be created from scratch or adapted from existing frameworks. This helps align all activities towards a common goal. Your North Star should be guided by your vision, mission, and value proposition, or if your company uses other setups like OKRs, align with those. Define your North Star, whether it's a product vision or a key business goal. Measure every task against it. If a task doesn’t contribute to your North Star, consider deprioritizing it.

Create a Prioritized List

Start with a comprehensive list of all tasks and product-related activities. Don’t worry about the order initially—just get everything down. Once you have your list, start prioritizing based on urgency and importance. Use a simple ranking system (e.g., critical, high, medium, low) to categorize each item.

Use the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix helps prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance:

- Urgent and Important: Do these tasks immediately.

- Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these tasks.

- Urgent but Not Important: Consider if these tasks can be postponed or assigned to others.

- Not Urgent and Not Important: Consider eliminating these tasks.

Accepting Uncertainty

In product management, uncertainty is constant. Accepting it can lead to better decisions and planning. Here’s how to embrace uncertainty:

- Stay Informed: Regularly update yourself on market trends, customer feedback, and internal metrics.

- Be Prepared to Pivot: Develop plans with built-in flexibility for changes as new information comes in.

- Encourage a Growth Mindset: Foster a team culture that views challenges as opportunities to learn rather than obstacles.

Progressive Elaboration

Progressive elaboration means continuously improving plans as more information becomes available. Start with a broad outline and refine it over time. This allows for greater flexibility and ensures that priorities stay aligned with the latest information.

Handling External Pressures

When pressured to make something a priority by external parties (clients, stakeholders, etc.), follow these steps:

1. Evaluate the Request: Assess how the new request aligns with your current priorities and North Star.

2. Communicate Impact: Clearly explain the impact of accepting this new priority on existing tasks. Provide a realistic timeline and explain any delays it might cause.

3. Negotiate: If possible, negotiate the deadline or scope of the new task. Find a middle ground that satisfies the external party without derailing your current priorities.

4. Document Decisions: Keep a record of the decision-making process and any agreements reached. This documentation can be crucial if conflicts arise later.

What to Do When a High-Ranking Stakeholder Insists on Conflicting Priorities

Even with a well-defined North Star, sometimes a high-ranking stakeholder insists on prioritizing a conflicting task. Here's how to handle such situations:

1. Understand the Stakeholder’s Perspective: Begin by understanding why this stakeholder believes their request is crucial. There might be information or context you are unaware of.

2. Communicate Clearly and Respectfully: Explain your current priorities and how they align with the North Star. Use data and evidence to show the impact of shifting focus away from established priorities.

3. Seek Compromise: Find a middle ground. Can the new task be integrated without disrupting key projects? Is there a way to allocate resources temporarily to address the stakeholder’s needs?

4. Escalate When Necessary: If the conflict cannot be resolved through direct communication, involve higher management or a steering committee to mediate. Present your case clearly and be open to their input.

5. Document Everything: Keep detailed records of all communications and decisions made. This ensures accountability and clarity if similar conflicts arise in the future.

Real-Life Scenario: Conflicting Product Launch Priorities

Let's consider a scenario where you are managing the development of a new software product. Your North Star is to deliver a high-quality, user-friendly product that meets market needs and is scheduled for launch in six months. However, midway through the development process, a high-ranking stakeholder insists on integrating a new feature they believe will be a game-changer.

This new feature requires significant resources and time, potentially delaying the original product launch and impacting other planned features. Here's how you can manage this situation:

1. Understand the Stakeholder’s Perspective: Schedule a meeting to understand why they believe the new feature is crucial. There might be market research or competitive insights that you are not aware of.

2. Communicate Clearly and Respectfully: Explain your current development priorities, the resources allocated, and how they align with the North Star. Use data to show the impact of integrating the new feature on the existing timeline and product quality.

3. Seek Compromise: Propose potential compromises. Could the feature be included in a later update? Can the scope of the feature be reduced to fit within the current timeline? Explore options that align both your priorities and the stakeholder’s vision.

4. Escalate When Necessary: If no agreement can be reached, involve higher management or a steering committee. Present your case clearly, highlighting the potential risks and benefits, and be open to their guidance.

5. Document Everything: Keep detailed records of all communications, decisions, and agreements. This ensures accountability and clarity for future reference.

Choosing Your Battles: Prioritizing Relationships with Stakeholders

In product management, it's important to know when to prioritize relationships with stakeholders, even if it means accommodating their requests occasionally. Here are some tips for choosing your battles wisely:

1. Assess the Impact: Evaluate whether accommodating the request will significantly harm your product pipeline. If the impact is minimal and the relationship is crucial, it might be worth prioritizing their request.

2. Long-Term Value: Consider the long-term value of the relationship. If maintaining a positive relationship can lead to future support and resources, it might justify accommodating their current request.

3. Strategic Alignment: Ensure that accommodating the request does not deviate significantly from your North Star or strategic goals. Small adjustments are manageable, but large deviations should be avoided.

4. Open Communication: Keep communication open with stakeholders. Explain your constraints and priorities transparently, and seek their understanding and cooperation.

5. Balance and Compromise: Find a balance between meeting stakeholder demands and maintaining the integrity of your product pipeline. Compromise where possible, but always keep the bigger picture in mind.

Managing conflicting priorities is an ongoing process that needs clear goals, good communication, and accepting uncertainty. By establishing a North Star, using prioritization tools, and keeping communication open, product managers can handle conflicting priorities with greater ease and efficiency.