Make a decision already! (why this is a key trait of a great product manager)

One of the most important attributes of being a successful product manager is the ability to make good decisions. It's a critical part of the job, and here are some ideas on how to do it better:

Firstly, You need to MAKE decisions- It's hard to believe I am mentioning it but when I think back to the product managers who have not succeeded in their roles, this has been a critical issue. As a product manager you are constantly asked to make decisions. It's probably the most important skill of the job. You have to make decisions about priorities, about launching what features when, about cutting scope etc. People need you to make decisions. If you put it off, or you turn it back to the person who asked, or you constantly have to "ask your boss", you're in for a world of hurt.  People need you to make decisions. Full stop.

Notice I didn't say "make the RIGHT decision"; sure, you want to do your best to make the best decision you can, but you won't be right all the time. Sometimes it's better to make the call, and unblock someone than waiting 'til you have all the facts. People know you're not perfect, nor is the information, you will mess up. When you do, own it, and move on. People will respect that you made a decision, and understand that all decisions can't be right. 

Oh, that brings me to the next key part of decision making that makes a great product manager, the ability to make decisions without perfect information. By the way, there is NEVER perfect information. Yes, if you waited longer, you could get to more information. But then the ship would have sailed.  You need to weigh your options, understand the tradeoffs and make the best decision that you can with the information you have, and be able to understand when you *really* don't have enough info, or whether you're in search for perfection. 

Remember: Perfect is the enemy of the good. 

Another key piece of decision making you to understand for yourself is how you make decisions and the implications of your approach.  Over the years I've run into general themes of how different product managers approach decision making: 

• Perfectionists- These product managers want what they want, they have an exact plan in mind that they vetted with customers and they make people do it the way they want to do it. Their decisions are their decisions, there is no room for debate. While they run their product with control and drive, they tend to piss off developers. Especially when something can't be done the way they want it to, things take longer, and collaboration can be hard. 
• Pushovers- These product managers have a plan, they know what the market is looking for, but as soon as they get pushback from development or sales they fold. They let other people make their decisions for them. They don't have control of their plan, the plan controls them. While they are "pleasing" people in the short term, the product suffers in the long term. 
• Pragmatists- These product managers walk the knife edge between perfection & pushover. They understand the key needs of their customers/market and they won't compromise on that, but they work WITH their counterparts to find solutions to reach those. They are open about "how" a solution is solved, but not "whether" the problem gets solved. They understand the business drivers and their customers, and this drives their decisions. People tend to respect these product managers for their passion for the customer AND their ability to collaborate to solve problems. 

A great product manager is a pragmatist. They make decisions taking into consideration the market needs, the business, the constraints, the tradeoffs and the delivery. They understand that they'll never have perfect information, and that making a decision is most of the battle. 

So, go on now. DECIDE!