.jpg)
This Winter, I got the privilege to lead a squad of content creators for the Merriman Financial Literacy program. Being a PM is a hard role to take on because of all the things you DON’T think of. When I was going into it, I was excited to lead and not take on as much work as I did as a content creator but that is not what happened. New challenges came up that I wasn't prepared for and it was hard to deal with them while still being a leader and a student.
In this blog, I'm going to briefly discuss some challenges I faced when leading a marketing squad and how to overcome them, or mainly give peace of mind.
With other classes and being president of a club, my schedule can be pretty busy. When being a product manager, you have to balance your own schedule alongside four other members who rely on you for information. It can be hard to find a time where you can meet weekly, even if it’s for an hour. Along with just scheduling, you need to manage your workload and how much time you can allocate to the squad. I would have to plan each meeting strategically and try to make sure that the squad is getting all the information that they need to be successful in this class. If you're interested in being a PM for IMC, make sure you have the time for it and understand the difficulty that follows it.
Since I had taken IMC previously, I obviously know more about the process and important information than my squad who has never been introduced to them before. It can be difficult because things that I find would be common sense only seem that way because I have experienced it. Making sure my point gets across effectively when leading can for sure be a challenge but here's how I faced it. Breaking it down. Bringing them to resources that can benefit them in modules, or even showing them links to brainstorm ideas.
Being a product manager, you can not do the work for the squad, you need to teach it. This was difficult for me because I am the type of person to just jump on work if it doesn't get done or no one wants to do it. I would have to let the squad figure out the roles and what they can take on without typically assigning them or taking on any myself. Sometimes the decision wouldn’t be decided until the next few days, which can be hard when ur only meeting in-person once a week. How do you fix this? Be patient. Not everything is going to get done instantly, it takes time. When roles don’t get selected, you can ask squad members if they would like to take it on to start an initiative.
In the beginning, I kept this up but as the quarter went on I knew that was falling. With other things getting in the way with group projects, homework, and some delays in products for the class, you can’t keep it up forever. You can stop this by taking a step back and recognizing your role. You're not a friend, you're a leader. You need to be professional and make sure that they take what you say seriously and you can’t do that if you aren't serious as well.
I personally feel that being a PM is the hardest role that AIMC can offer. You jump into it thinking you know everything simply because you've done it, but it is way more complicated and strategic than that. You need to lead a squad, practically teach them the content, and make sure the production of the product is being executed correctly. This was my first management role and I have learned so much from my time spent as a PM. I am excited for what the future holds and what I can take on after this experience. I wouldn't have done it without my squad and the other people in AIMC ! If you liked this blog check out some of my other blogs about time management, personal brand, and the beauty and cosmetic industry. Now I'm going to end this blog like I do with my squad updates, with a picture of my cat Morrison.
.png)