Fall Learning List: Soft Skills for Product Managers
Yana shares what's on her list to learn this fall.
As autumn approaches, I always feel a surge of energy - like September and October are the perfect months to dive into learning and trying new things! Maybe it’s a throwback to my school and university days, but fall is the season when I read the most, enroll in courses, and stay active. But here’s the challenge: the further you grow in your career, the harder it becomes to find ways to learn something new beyond the hard skills courses like Reforge, Product School, etc. So I thought I’d share what’s on my list to try before Christmas! If you’re looking to break out of the traditional learning loop and explore something that enhances your broader skill set as a PM, here are some non-conventional options.
Me spending the last day of Summer doing absolutely nothing and preparing to that “surge of energy”
“Storytelling for Influence”
The universe is made of stories, not atoms - Muriel Rukeyser.
I truly believe that the art of storytelling is one of the most critical skills for a product manager. You can present tons of data and research to the leadership to fund your project, but it’s the compelling story that gets people excited, aligns them behind your idea, and keeps them committed to your plan.
Last year, I attended a storytelling course but it didn’t really hit the mark - the price we pay in the world of millions of info-businesses: not all of them are good. This year, I’m setting my sights on this storytelling course by IDEO, which promises a deeper dive into crafting narratives that can truly influence and inspire. If you’ve tried it, let me know your thoughts!
“World Class Communicator”
I’ve never seen communication listed as a separate skill in any PM ladder, but it’s something I’ve learned the hard way: communication is a multiplier of all your other skills. The more you grow, the more important communication becomes. Whether it’s aligning cross-functional teams, presenting to stakeholders, or navigating complex negotiations, your ability to communicate effectively can make or break your success.
In one of the recent posts, I’ve shared my takeaways from the communication workshop by Berkley Professor Holly Schroth. But this online course by Scott Walker has been on my list for ages. As one of the world’s most experienced kidnap-for-ransom negotiators, Scott helped resolve over 300 cases worldwide and from every industry, sector, and geography. This provided him with a ring-side seat into what enables people to navigate uncertainty and succeed in high-stakes situations.
“Becoming Superhuman”
One day, one day… In the meantime, I constantly focus on improving my productivity - at work and in life. My husband calls me the “optimizer” because I get immense satisfaction and joy from finding ways to save even 15 min in a day by refining my routines and multi-tasking.
Anyway, back to the topic. Becoming superhuman is a team of neuroscientists who publish content and run workshops on productivity, focusing on science-backed strategies to get the most out of your day. I’ve heard some positive feedback about their workshops and can’t wait to attend one myself. As PMs, we often juggle multiple projects, stakeholders, and deadlines, and staying on top of everything can feel like a superpower.
What’s on your list for the fall? Share your recommendations in the comments! 🍂🍁🍃
Dina’s 2 cents
I enjoy learning soft skills even more than hard skills, because the application of them goes beyond one professional field and can easily be applied to personal life too. I have taken the IDEO’s storytelling course and I really enjoyed it and found it helpful. At the time I was Senior PM looking to advance my career further and I really wasn’t good at storytelling ( I didn’t even know how it could be relevant to me). My default mode was linear information sharing: efficient for conveying facts, but woefully inadequate for stirring emotions or inspiring action. I just started reading The Science Of Storytelling by Will Store to refresh my knowledge on this topic.