How to be the best coach to product people | Petra Wille (Strong Product People)
Executive Summary
Petra Wille explains context-specific expectations, starting points, growth opportunities, alignment, development plans, follow-up and prepared coaching questions. Selected third-party transcript coverage excludes sponsor reads, emotional-health advice, personal-life passages and numerical impact claims. Untimed editorial topics are not video chapters.
Key Takeaways
Define good in this context
Wille starts with an explicit definition of a good product person in the team's setting. A manager's implicit feeling is difficult to coach against. Write down the relevant skills, knowledge and capabilities so the conversation has a clear reference.
Map the starting point
She asks leaders to understand where each person currently is before describing a future direction. Coaching should respond to the individual's present capabilities and interests. A generic ladder alone does not identify the next useful learning step.
Look for a next bigger challenge
Wille encourages managers to think beyond the person's current role and identify a challenge that could develop a skill. The opportunity may not arrive immediately. Recording it helps the manager recognize and offer it when the right work becomes available.
Agree the direction with the person
A manager's vision may not match what the person wants. Wille says to share it and have an alignment conversation. Development works better as a joint direction than as an ambition the manager privately assigns to someone else.
Turn gaps into small learning steps
A development plan can connect a current gap with a practical activity, such as studying prioritization or practicing a presentation. The manager can help choose the steps, but the person still owns their development. The plan should be small enough to coexist with the day job.
Follow up in a useful way
She recommends asking how the person wants reminders and support. Consistent small check-ins can keep the plan visible between larger reviews. The goal is ongoing learning, not an intense review process followed by months without attention.
Prepare for coaching conversations
Wille suggests keeping a useful list of coaching questions for one-on-ones. A development plan and prepared questions reduce the chance of arriving with no useful direction. Ask about a manageable improvement instead of demanding an immediate leap to an ideal score.
The Conversation Breakdown
Define good in this context
⏱ Untimed topicWille starts with an explicit definition of a good product person in the team's setting. A manager's implicit feeling is difficult to coach against. Write down the relevant skills, knowledge and capabilities so the conversation has a clear reference.
Map the starting point
⏱ Untimed topicShe asks leaders to understand where each person currently is before describing a future direction. Coaching should respond to the individual's present capabilities and interests. A generic ladder alone does not identify the next useful learning step.
Look for a next bigger challenge
⏱ Untimed topicWille encourages managers to think beyond the person's current role and identify a challenge that could develop a skill. The opportunity may not arrive immediately. Recording it helps the manager recognize and offer it when the right work becomes available.
Agree the direction with the person
⏱ Untimed topicA manager's vision may not match what the person wants. Wille says to share it and have an alignment conversation. Development works better as a joint direction than as an ambition the manager privately assigns to someone else.
Turn gaps into small learning steps
⏱ Untimed topicA development plan can connect a current gap with a practical activity, such as studying prioritization or practicing a presentation. The manager can help choose the steps, but the person still owns their development. The plan should be small enough to coexist with the day job.
Follow up in a useful way
⏱ Untimed topicShe recommends asking how the person wants reminders and support. Consistent small check-ins can keep the plan visible between larger reviews. The goal is ongoing learning, not an intense review process followed by months without attention.
Prepare for coaching conversations
⏱ Untimed topicWille suggests keeping a useful list of coaching questions for one-on-ones. A development plan and prepared questions reduce the chance of arriving with no useful direction. Ask about a manageable improvement instead of demanding an immediate leap to an ideal score.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Context-specific compass
Define the skills and capabilities that good product work requires in this team.
Next bigger challenge
Identify an opportunity that can develop a person's next useful skill.
Small-step development
Connect an agreed growth area with practical learning and regular follow-up.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Write a context-specific definition of good product work.
- ✓Discuss a possible next bigger challenge with the person.
- ✓Choose one small learning activity for the development plan.
- ✓Ask which follow-up style would help.
Notable Quotes
“So what is your definition of good, so to say?”
“And then finally, it's the follow-up.”
“And a development plan could help and a prepared list of coaching questions could help to make it way easier.”
The One Thing to Remember
Make growth practical: agree the direction, choose a small learning step and follow up consistently.