How can you learn from other disciplines and domains to improve your product management skills?

1 Cross-pollinate your ideas

One way to learn from other disciplines and domains is to cross-pollinate your ideas with people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. You can do this by joining online communities, attending events, reading books and blogs, listening to podcasts, or taking courses that expose you to new topics and insights. By cross-pollinating your ideas, you can discover new connections, patterns, and opportunities that can enrich your product vision, strategy, and execution.

2 Borrow best practices

Another way to learn from other disciplines and domains is to borrow best practices that have proven to be effective in solving similar or related problems. You can do this by studying how other product managers or teams have approached challenges, delivered value, and measured success in different contexts and environments. You can also look for best practices from other fields, such as design, engineering, marketing, psychology, or business, that can inform your product decisions, processes, and methods.

3 Experiment with new tools

A third way to learn from other disciplines and domains is to experiment with new tools that can help you perform your product management tasks better, faster, or easier. You can do this by exploring different software, platforms, frameworks, or techniques that can enhance your productivity, collaboration, communication, or creativity. For example, you can try using a kanban board to manage your backlog, a mind map to brainstorm ideas, or a persona to empathize with your users.

4 Learn from failures

A fourth way to learn from other disciplines and domains is to learn from failures that can teach you valuable lessons and insights. You can do this by analyzing how other product managers or teams have failed, what caused their failures, and how they recovered or improved from them. You can also learn from failures from other fields, such as science, history, or sports, that can inspire you, motivate you, or help you avoid common pitfalls.

5 Apply lateral thinking

A fifth way to learn from other disciplines and domains is to apply lateral thinking that can help you generate novel and innovative solutions. You can do this by using techniques, such as analogy, metaphor, reversal, or provocation, that can help you break out of your usual patterns of thinking and see your product problem from a different angle. By applying lateral thinking, you can challenge your assumptions, uncover hidden opportunities, and create value for your customers and stakeholders.

6 Keep an open mind

A sixth way to learn from other disciplines and domains is to keep an open mind that can help you embrace diversity, curiosity, and growth. You can do this by being willing to learn from anyone and anything, regardless of their status, reputation, or relevance. You can also do this by being humble, respectful, and appreciative of the knowledge and skills of others, and by being flexible, adaptable, and receptive to feedback and change. By keeping an open mind, you can become a more well-rounded, versatile, and effective product manager.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?