and how you deliver them…

Communication. Communication. Communication.

I like to say at least 80% of what a product manager does is communicate. This is a friendly reminder that what we say and how we say it matters (in both interviews and our careers).

I watched this just after failing a hiring manager phone screen, and I think part of why I didn’t perform well was I overthought it and was trying too hard to please and so didn’t choose the right words or tone. I spoke too fast and missed the mark.

Yes, there were already red flags before I got on the call, but I could have done better.

On top of the message you hear in this video, note the measured way the words were delivered. A brief pause here and there changes everything.