Someone non-technical asked me the other day what I do, and I answered: "I get the important ducks in a row, and I herd cats such that they thank me for being herded."

One of the things that Clement Kao discusses at length in his book on Product Management is empathy — for every possible stakeholder. The customer of course, but also the engineers, the QA team, the sales and marketing teams, and the executive team.

Every group in an organization has their focus, the specific problems they are trying to solve. Every employee has their own personal motivations — what drives their passions and what frustrates them.

The best way to work with all of them? Empathy.

Whether you agree with them or not, listen. Understand their viewpoints so that you can integrate them, or at the very least, convey that they are heard.

It can’t be taught in school or learned on the job, but it’s a life skill that makes bringing any product to market more successful.