Isn’t That My Manager’s Job?

<p><strong>Isn’t That My Manager’s Job?</strong></p><p><strong>W</strong>hen I work with product leaders on product strategy, one of the most common responses I hear is, “Isn’t that my manager’s job?” Sometimes it comes as a complaint. Sometimes it’s a genuine question. Either way, it usually reflects the same belief: strategy belongs somewhere above them.</p><p>On paper, they are not entirely wrong. It does sound like something a manager should provide. But there are a few reasons it rarely works that way. Even in organizations where leadership does bring a good strategy to the table (and not a generic direction sometimes mistaken for strategy), product leaders still have a major responsibility in bringing the strategy down to earth. Not by translating it to a roadmap and executing accordingly, the responsibility is at the strategy level itself.</p><p>But if you think it’s someone else’s job, you don’t do your own strategic job. You wait. You don’t want to step on your manager’s toes. You are not sure what to do.</p><p>How to connect with AgileDad:</p><p>- [website] <a href="https://www.agiledad.com/">⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠</a></p><p>- [instagram] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/">⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠</a></p><p>- [facebook] <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/">⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠</a></p><p>- [Linkedin] <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/">⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/</a></p>