You're managing remote Product Managers. How do you conduct effective performance reviews?

Having worked remotely for more than 2 years, I can safely say that your performance is measured by the outcomes you've driven that you were given to work upon. As long as you deliver on those, your work doesn't get affected by other external factors (typically seen in an office setting). Proactively sending a concise weekly report to your reporting manager ensures that they are well informed about the actions you took to improve your product's metrics. After all, clear communication and bringing your reporting manager on the same page helps to tackle the issue of remote work. Hope this helps!

Effective performance reviews for remote PMs require regular check-ins and clear performance metrics. Use video calls for a personal touch and provide specific, actionable feedback. Document achievements and areas for improvement, and set clear goals for the next period. Encourage open communication and ask for feedback on your management style. Recognize their efforts and successes publicly to build morale. Ensure they feel supported and connected despite the physical distance, fostering a sense of belonging and accountability.

Beyond setting SMART goals, make sure they evolve. Regularly revisit those goals to adapt to market shifts, user feedback, or unexpected opportunities. That's how remote product managers stay ahead of the curve and deliver real value.

Defining clear, measurable goals is essential for remote product managers. However, establishing the right cadence for reviewing these goals and providing feedback is equally important. Regular evaluations help ensure objectives align with key performance indicators (KPIs) such as user engagement or revenue growth. This consistent review process not only strengthens the foundation for performance assessment but also clarifies how their work directly impacts the company's success.

Don’t wait until it’s formal review time to do regular check in and provide coaching. I personally do monthly 1:1 coaching with each member of my team focused solely on their career, goals and personal development. By the time we have mid year or annual reviews, my team members are already aware of where they stand and how we will collaborate to get them to whatever their next level might be.

Regular check-ins are a game-changer for staying connected with remote product managers. From my experience, these meetings are perfect for providing ongoing feedback rather than waiting for formal reviews. Continuous dialogue helps address issues promptly and keeps everyone aligned on expectations and progress. Plus, it's a great time to celebrate successes and reinforce positive behaviors, which can be especially motivating for remote team members.

In my first job, I was working remotely for close to a year. However, I was regularly checked upon my peers and manager regularly through Zoom and Slack, making sure there is no major issues being piled up. This way of regularly addressing issues was highly needed, so that I am aligned with the team's expectations and vision. This also serves as a way for motivation and reinforcing positive behaviors.

I offer a career chat once a month to all of my direct reports. This gives them the ability to regularly get feedback and know what they need to do to grow in their career; however, it keeps the onus on them to initiate the discussions. If I set them up myself, it would be like shoving feedback down their throat.

Product managers have so many stakeholders that 360 reviews are vital. However, make sure that the questions asked in the reviews are relevant. No point asking generic questions like trust, communication, authenticity, etc. Instead, focus on the core metrics for a PM: customer insight, execution, and impact.

Incorporating 360-degree feedback into performance reviews provides a comprehensive view of a remote product manager's performance. From my experience, encouraging team members, stakeholders, and even customers to provide input can reveal strengths and weaknesses that KPIs alone might miss. This holistic feedback empowers product managers to develop a more rounded skill set, considering the perspectives of everyone affected by their work.

In our company (Ukrainian company) after 24th February 2022 we worked mostly remote and the team members were in different countries, but it didn’t impact on performance. We have 360-feedback form and it’s working effectively. We have a process, when manager should give a feedback, but you select colleagues by your own. And it’s not necessary to give 2-way feedback, so you can give a feedback to some person, but a person is not obliged to give a feedback to you in response. In my opinion, it’s not really good. I suppose, that there should always be a responsive feedback.

discuss how their decisions and strategies have driven the product forward and what can be learned from successes and setbacks. This outcome-focused approach underscores the value of results over mere busyness, ensuring that performance reviews are meaningful and aligned with product goals.

Every job is a climb on the ladder for both professional and personal growth. In a remote setting, there is a good chance that the product managers can feel disconnected. Enhancing skill development platforms for upskilling, handing them with new tasks, discussing about their future goal, is highly necessary for personal growth. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and retention.

During remote work I organized a Reforge subscription for 50 colleagues from my company. We collaborated, some teams organized discussions after any course completion -> It was really effective. So everybody felt connected to the organization and other company members. Groups subscription are effective 💫

Project Management: Atlassian JIRA, Asana, Zoho Projects, Freshrelease, Zapier. Video Conferencing : Zoom , Microsoft Teams , Google Meet. Messaging : Google Hangouts, Slack, Teams Feedback Collection : Lattice, Keka Hr These are some of the popular tools in various divisions that can be leveraged to fill any gaps with information and also helping the product managers, remove any barriers to deliver exceptional products.

Ensure remote Product Managers have the tools and resources they need to succeed. Use performance reviews to discuss any gaps in tools, information, or support. Addressing these needs removes barriers to performance and enables your product managers to focus on delivering exceptional products. For example, if a manager needs better analytics software, provide it to enhance their effectiveness. Remember, their success is your success, and providing the right resources is crucial for achieving team goals.

For remote Product Managers, I keep regular check-ins with clear, achievable goals that focus on both product outcomes and skill development. I’m transparent about how I give feedback and how I prefer to receive it, promoting open communication. As a servant leader, I aim to provide all the support they need and agree on a flexible but structured framework for tracking goals. This way, our objectives stay realistic and aligned.

There is often a thin line between open communication and micromanaging in a remote workplace. While handling any remote team it's important to have a clear path of communication and goal setting. While there will be higher ambiguity owing to a diverse team who are all located remotely, it would also mean they would have a diverse skill set which can come in handy. The smartest way that one of my managers did was schedule it always one on one call rather than doing it in the stand up call with entire team. He would set up a 5 min check in and talk with words of encouragement before critiquing the team mate or pushing them to tasks that they failed. This really helped morale esp that of newbies.

In a remote setting, personal motivation is really important in a role like a PM. Having said this, it is important for you to give the right kind of guidance and the inspiration for the PM to get that personal motivation. I believe if the PM has the motivation he will be eager to share and discuss his work with the manager. These regular conversations/ check-ins along with other managerial processes like 360 feedback, OKR based ratings will help in conducting effective performance review

Consider creating a feedback loop where remote Product Managers can share their experiences and suggestions. For example, in a recent review cycle, I implemented a peer review system where managers could provide constructive feedback to each other. This not only enhanced collaboration but also surfaced valuable insights for improvement. Additionally, encourage continuous learning by recommending relevant courses or industry events. These practices foster a supportive environment and drive continuous improvement.