Mastering the art of PM evaluations by Shreyas Doshi and Lane Shackleton

Essential tips to make performance reviews constructive and impactful.

Teresa de Figueiredo

Product Manager at Coda

Mastering the art of PM evaluations by Shreyas Doshi and Lane Shackleton

By Teresa de Figueiredo

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Product teams · 8 min read
Your career is like a product. And if you’re a product manager like me, it’s the lifetime product you’ll continually work to develop and build into success. Think about it in this way: just as you would define a product’s vision and strategy, create a roadmap based on market demands and gather insights based on usability and informed feedback, the same principle should apply to your approach to your own career development. Earlier this month, Shreyas Doshi (ex-Stripe, Twitter, Google) and Coda’s CPO, Lane Shackleton (ex-YouTube) hosted a webinar called Demystifying PM performance, calibrations, and feedback. In it, they explored how PM performances are assessed (guided with this framework), as well as the dynamics of calibration meetings and the effective feedback methods for PMs. And here’s the biggest takeaway for me: your career is a product that can always be refined and enhanced.
Every company says performance reviews are among the most important things they and yet they inherit everything about the process and the approach from somewhere else.
Shreyas Doshi
PM Leader
Here are 6 things I learned from the conversation, whether you’re the one giving or receiving a PM evaluation.

1. Keep an open dialogue all year round.

 Giving and receiving feedback is the crux of most, if not all, PM performance conversations. Yet, it’s often a dreaded process that yields vague responses and unfruitful results. On top of that, the dramatic build-up to evaluations can often leave PM’s feeling anxious and deflated. The solution? Maintain ongoing conversations throughout the year. No PM or executive should feel that an annual performance review is one-sided or blindsiding, with issues accumulating over months. Would you settle for a one-time study or wait until year-end to adjust a product? Of course not. A seasoned PM recognizes the value of continuous assessment to address concerns and facilitate improvement. Establishing a framework for an open dialogue in your work year-round achieves the same effect. It prevents disconnect and alleviates unnecessary anxiety, allowing both the PM and their supervisor to provide guidance, seek improvements, and tackle issues as they arise.
As Shreyas emphasized, fostering a culture of continuous feedback enables real-time adjustments that benefit the business and enhances a PM’s engagement and development in their daily operations.

2. Assessments are a two-way street.

 If you’re a PM, you’ve likely sat through a performance review that involved a lot of head nodding and listening but lacked clear direction for improvement. You’re not alone. Many find performance reviews unclear and poorly structured, leading to burnout or dissent within the team. To make the most of your assessment, it’s crucial to understand the feedback you receive so you can continue to grow as an individual and within the company. Do this by arriving at your review prepared. Be ready with specific questions that promote your growth, rather than accepting a generic overview that’s difficult to action on. And as Lane suggested, moving from receiving the feedback to directing it—”here’s what I heard, here’s what I learned about it, and here’s the plan for what I’m going to do as a result of it.” Just as you proactively seek ways to improve a product, use this same mindset in your role within the company. Approach the conversation as you would a case study or customer discussion: steer the feedback you’re looking for, identify specific areas for improvement, and request targeted input.

3. Follow up on feedback.

 Treat feedback sessions like user research exercises. One of the things I pay extra attention to as a PM is digging deeper into comments and suggestions through follow-up questions and exploring different angles. If I’m not actively engaging with customer feedback, simply accepting it as it comes, I wouldn’t be fulfilling my role effectively.
Most of us do a pretty good job when we get feedback for our product and how we should respond to it. But it turns out most of us, and I include myself, aren’t very good at dealing with feedback for my most important product, which is me.
Shreyas Doshi
PM Leader
There’s a popular phrase: “Think before you act.” And as a PM, I connect with this a lot—not just in application to my work as a PM but also how Shreyas and Lane advise on evaluation next steps. It’s important to give yourself time to reflect on the feedback you receive, process what was said, and sit with the insights gained. This kind of thoughtful reflection will bring clarity to the goals and expectations you need to meet, ensure that everyone is aligned, and guide you to create actionable plans for ongoing career growth.
But don’t stop there—follow up! Whether you’re a PM or the one giving the evaluation, engage in check-ins after the feedback conversation. Leaders should regularly discuss progress and adjustments, while PMs should encourage accountability and ask questions to make sure they’re on the right track. This approach mirrors how effective product managers handle customer feedback: they analyze and consider input before deciding on the right adjustments. By prioritizing both reflection and follow-up, organizations can foster a supportive environment where employees feel valued and motivated to grow, ultimately enhancing performance and strengthening teams.

4. Stay curious.

 Sometimes an annual evaluation can come with less-than-complimentary feedback. Don’t let this derail or discourage you—use it as a superpower. Feedback of all types and sizes is crucial for your personal and professional growth. Instead of viewing such feedback as a setback, approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Easier said than done, right? There’s a lot that can be misconstrued in the moment, especially if the feedback you’re receiving isn’t what you hoped for. Apply what you’ve learned as a PM from not-so-flattering customer feedback—take it as a chance to ask specific questions, dig deeper, and stay curious so you can better understand the context and intent behind the critique. This proactive approach not only demystifies the criticism but also empowers you to see it as an opportunity for improvement rather than a personal attack. Shreyas added that it’s important (both personally and professionally) to develop a clear plan of action based on this feedback. Reflect on how this feedback aligns with your goals, and identify specific steps you can take to address any shortcomings. This could involve seeking mentorship, engaging in targeted skill development, or adjusting work habits.
By framing constructive criticism as a valuable tool for growth, PMs can turn potentially discouraging feedback into a springboard for enhancement, ultimately leading to greater success and fulfillment in their roles.

5. Shift the calibration process.

 When it comes to leading a strong evaluation, Lane emphasized the importance of calibration processes that foster creativity within management teams. That’s why calibration should be embraced by leadership teams to engage in meaningful discussions about employee performance—not just a checkbox exercise. By framing the process around questions like, “If we were to rebuild the company today, who would we hire back first?,” teams can prioritize individuals based on their actual contributions. The results are resounding: prompting crucial conversations about strengths, weaknesses, and potential realignments.
I’m always interested in improving this process because I think it’s a big point of leverage for a leadership team if they do this process really well.
Lane Shackleton
CPO at Coda
A good way to do this is by creating a structured environment where feedback is transparent and collaborative. Managers can and should encourage an open dialogue, prioritize feedback (not all feedback is equally valuable!), and focus on each individual’s impact, rather than simply reviewing a lengthy list of names. This approach not only helps identify top PM performers but also highlights areas for development, enabling organizations to take decisive actions based on collective insights. Ultimately, a well-executed calibration process serves as a powerful leverage point for leadership teams, driving continuous improvement and alignment within the organization.

6. Keep your future in mind.

 There are two dimensions of career growth for product managers: success within the company and personal career advancement beyond the current organization. As Shreyas explained, many PMs focus solely on navigating the corporate landscape and fulfilling immediate performance expectations, forgetting how these experiences can contribute to their own long-term career goals. It’s not one or the other—it’s both. Aligning with managers on these two dimensions is crucial, especially during annual performance evaluations. If you’re a PM, align with your manager on what aspects of the career ladder (e.g., Junior PM, PM, Senior PM, Principal PM) you need to focus on for the next six months to get to that next rung on the ladder. If you’re a manager, avoid relying solely on these ladders to justify promotions or performance ratings, which can oversimplify the complexities of feedback. Instead, apply a nuanced understanding of each team member’s performance using a three-component framework for providing feedback: insight, execution, and impact. This method emphasizes the importance of context and rigor in evaluating a PM’s performance, encouraging managers to ask deeper questions rather than just referencing a cell on a performance ladder. By integrating various inputs—such as results, feedback from peers, and leadership perspectives—both a manager and PM can experience a more meaningful evaluation that fosters genuine growth and alignment with both company goals and individual aspirations.

Navigating PM evaluations where everyone wins.

 When it comes to PM evaluations, approach it with a Product Manager mindset. By considering your career as a product, you recognize that there’s not a perfect path and there’s always opportunity for improvement. Simply put, seek out direct feedback, assess it, and develop growth plans just like you would for any product. When you take this approach, everyone benefits—the PM, the manager, and the company. Ready to set your next PM performance eval up for success? Watch the webinar to discover more insights from Shreyas and Lane.
Watch the webinar

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