Understanding PM Culture Framework

Introduction

• A framework to understand PM cultures in organizations.
• Helps determine:
  • Power of PMs
  • Decision-making dynamics
  • Relationship and conflicts between PM, engineering, and design.

Three Types of PM Cultures

1. PM-Dominated Culture
2. PM-Guided Culture
3. PM-Serviced Culture

Determining the PM Culture

• Based on two axes:
  • Horizontal Axis: PM Competence
  • Vertical Axis: Degree of Influence over product decisions.

PM Competence

• Defines the product and orchestrates actions to ensure product success.
• Can vary from low to high competence.

Degree of Influence

• Involves decisions like product strategy, prioritization, and response to customer requests.
• Influence over decisions like quality vs. quick shipping.
• The key is who has the biggest voice in high-stakes situations.

Culture Breakdown

1. PM-Serviced Culture

• Location: Bottom right of 2D space
• Characteristics:
  • Best PMs have low to medium influence.
  • Some other function, usually engineering or sales, leads.
  • PMs serve this leading function.

2. PM-Dominated Culture

• Location: Top left of 2D space
• Characteristics:
  • Low competence PMs have high influence, often due to title.
  • PMs act as dictators, others as resources.

3. PM-Guided Culture

• Location: Middle of 2D space
• Characteristics:
  • High competence PMs wield high influence.
  • Low competence PMs have low to medium influence.
  • Influence can shift to other competent functions if PM is low competence.
  • Described as PM as a tour guide:
    • Gives guidance but allows exploration.
    • Not too dominant or passive.

Metaphors

• PM as a Dictator: In a PM-dominated culture.
• PM as a Tour Guide: In a PM-guided culture.
• PM as Housekeeping: In a PM-serviced culture.

Conclusion

• Understanding this framework helps in identifying company cultures and addressing frustrations faced by PMs due to their influence levels.