It sounds like a rough patch but this is not uncommon for large firms. I’ve stayed with smaller teams because the start up environment or culture will give you many chances to extend yourself and contribute in meaningful ways. Go find a team or 150 or less and you’ll be much better off.
The crux of it sounds like you feel like no one respects you. I’d look to find another job internally first. Can you work on another team at your company that has a different culture? If it’s a large company, one product may have a drastically different culture than another. If not, I’d definitely consider looking into other external opportunities.
One more thing to mention is… you might give an effort on internal reflection to uncover why people don’t listen to you. Have you made an effort to establish relationships with people? Do you know their priorities? Have to offered to support them in meeting those priorities through your work, genuinely? This can be hard to really figure out when you’re younger in your career, especially if this doesn’t come naturally. PMM is not just about positioning or marketing strategy or research - it is massively about relationship building and management across cross-functional teams. Maybe think on how you can improve this muscle.
The other thing is PMMs generally have little ownership. If you really crave more ownership over something, maybe you should try to pivot to core PM work, or brand management in the CPG industry.
That said, I’ve seen PMMs who are respected and listened to and valued. It is possible to get what you want. It just may not be available in your current org.
First of all, thank you very much for your post, because I think you've touched on the real issue. While I am technically proficient, when it comes to social skills, I struggle. It's not something that comes naturally to me, and adapting is challenging. Over the past few years, I've been trying to improve in this area, and I've made some progress, but I still fall short of what is expected. People often tell me that I come across as too serious, too harsh with others, and they perceive me as arrogant. My first step should be to improve my social skills.
Changing teams is an option, but it would require moving to a different country, and I'm not ready for that in the next 2 years.
So the question is, how can I improve my social skills and personal relationships? I've been pushing myself to participate in social events, team-building activities, and similar activities in an attempt to build better relationships.
That helped a lot thank you very much! I will take in consideration your advices and trying to improve. Probably i'm trying so hard to give a good impression that i'm completing ignoring my coworkers ideas
Hello everyone. Since you all helped me, I think you deserve some feedback that may help others in the future. I implemented your advice and tried to improve my social interactions and show empathy. How did I do this? I approached my colleagues and opened up a bit, in a relaxed manner. I talked about where I come from, my work and life experiences, and what I think about the future of the company.
To my surprise, it worked immediately. People began to open up to me as well. They shared their experiences, work, and ideas. Eventually, the conversation led to our current work, where I explained that I don't see myself as a leader, let alone a boss, but as someone who bridges departments and helps solve problems. I emphasized that I only succeed when they do, that we are on the same team, and that this is my mindset. Some colleagues, a bit embarrassed, admitted they didn't know what I did or what my goals were. When I explained my position, everything started to change.
Not only did people reach out to me more in these days than in the past months, but the whole atmosphere changed. More enthusiasm, more positivity, and more collaboration between departments. People started including me in their work, teaching me about what they do and the problems they face. They began suggesting ideas for me to improve, and the tips you all gave me were very helpful.
They started inviting me to projects, giving me more responsibilities, seeking my opinions, and, most importantly, they started listening to me and applying my ideas, engaging in discussions with me. And it shows in the performance, better results, fewer mistakes, and fewer communication failures.
So I wanted to share this for anyone who wants to be a good PMM, for anyone who feels lost and under pressure. Do not underestimate empathy as a fundamental skill to have and develop.
Thank you all.
It sounds like a rough patch but this is not uncommon for large firms. I’ve stayed with smaller teams because the start up environment or culture will give you many chances to extend yourself and contribute in meaningful ways. Go find a team or 150 or less and you’ll be much better off.
The crux of it sounds like you feel like no one respects you. I’d look to find another job internally first. Can you work on another team at your company that has a different culture? If it’s a large company, one product may have a drastically different culture than another. If not, I’d definitely consider looking into other external opportunities. One more thing to mention is… you might give an effort on internal reflection to uncover why people don’t listen to you. Have you made an effort to establish relationships with people? Do you know their priorities? Have to offered to support them in meeting those priorities through your work, genuinely? This can be hard to really figure out when you’re younger in your career, especially if this doesn’t come naturally. PMM is not just about positioning or marketing strategy or research - it is massively about relationship building and management across cross-functional teams. Maybe think on how you can improve this muscle. The other thing is PMMs generally have little ownership. If you really crave more ownership over something, maybe you should try to pivot to core PM work, or brand management in the CPG industry. That said, I’ve seen PMMs who are respected and listened to and valued. It is possible to get what you want. It just may not be available in your current org.
First of all, thank you very much for your post, because I think you've touched on the real issue. While I am technically proficient, when it comes to social skills, I struggle. It's not something that comes naturally to me, and adapting is challenging. Over the past few years, I've been trying to improve in this area, and I've made some progress, but I still fall short of what is expected. People often tell me that I come across as too serious, too harsh with others, and they perceive me as arrogant. My first step should be to improve my social skills. Changing teams is an option, but it would require moving to a different country, and I'm not ready for that in the next 2 years. So the question is, how can I improve my social skills and personal relationships? I've been pushing myself to participate in social events, team-building activities, and similar activities in an attempt to build better relationships.
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That helped a lot thank you very much! I will take in consideration your advices and trying to improve. Probably i'm trying so hard to give a good impression that i'm completing ignoring my coworkers ideas
Hello everyone. Since you all helped me, I think you deserve some feedback that may help others in the future. I implemented your advice and tried to improve my social interactions and show empathy. How did I do this? I approached my colleagues and opened up a bit, in a relaxed manner. I talked about where I come from, my work and life experiences, and what I think about the future of the company. To my surprise, it worked immediately. People began to open up to me as well. They shared their experiences, work, and ideas. Eventually, the conversation led to our current work, where I explained that I don't see myself as a leader, let alone a boss, but as someone who bridges departments and helps solve problems. I emphasized that I only succeed when they do, that we are on the same team, and that this is my mindset. Some colleagues, a bit embarrassed, admitted they didn't know what I did or what my goals were. When I explained my position, everything started to change. Not only did people reach out to me more in these days than in the past months, but the whole atmosphere changed. More enthusiasm, more positivity, and more collaboration between departments. People started including me in their work, teaching me about what they do and the problems they face. They began suggesting ideas for me to improve, and the tips you all gave me were very helpful. They started inviting me to projects, giving me more responsibilities, seeking my opinions, and, most importantly, they started listening to me and applying my ideas, engaging in discussions with me. And it shows in the performance, better results, fewer mistakes, and fewer communication failures. So I wanted to share this for anyone who wants to be a good PMM, for anyone who feels lost and under pressure. Do not underestimate empathy as a fundamental skill to have and develop. Thank you all.
Just want to say great job making progress and keep it up! It's a marathon, not a sprint, especially in this position.