Product Manager (PM) and Engineering Manager (EM) Relationship: How to Work Together Harmoniously

The more harmonious the relationship is between the Product Manager (PM) and the Engineering Manager (EM) in the organization, the more likely it is that useful and valuable products get shipped. The PM and EM relationship is important to discuss because the lines of ownership are often so blurred that it results in a bit of conflict.

Although healthy conflict is good for team creativity and engagement, it’s always advantageous for the PM and EM to be partners throughout the entire product development process. So, how can a good partnership be cultivated? This is what we’re going to answer today.

Start with Building the Right Foundation

The right foundation will consist of trust, accountability, and clearly defining limits and ownerships. Let’s take a closer look into each one of these key concepts and explore why they can create a solid foundation in a PM and EM relationship:

Trust

Trust is one of the main keys for the PM and EM to work harmoniously. The more the two trust each other, the less particular that they will become about strictly defining and following their rules of engagement. Trust overcomes any obstacle and it guides the decision-making toward a successful outcome.

When the EM and PM relationship is built on trust, there’s less nitpicking and micromanaging. Along with consistent communication, one team trusts that the other is doing their job accordingly. 

Accountability

Although the PM and EM come from different departments, their teams are both accountable for the successful shipping of the product. They succeed together and they fail together. Both managers need to remember that they have shared accountability over made decisions that could potentially affect the desired outcome.

Ownership

To avoid conflict, the PM and EM need to define their respective functions and responsibilities. They will have shared accountability for the product’s success (or failure) but they have to clearly define who does what and who owns what. 

A Closer Look at Ownership

So who, exactly, is in charge of what in the product development process? Who gets to make decisions that are in line with the specified goals? To help you set clear lines of division with regard to responsibility, here’s an overview:

Owner	Decision
Product Manager	What are we building?
Product Manager	Why are we building this product/feature?
Engineering Manager	How are we building this product/feature?
Engineering Manager	Who will be building this product/feature?
Engineering Manager / Product Manager	When will it be ready?

Product Manager Ownership

Identifying what to build is related to the specific features or product the team is attempting to release. It’s not just about the functional requirements. It can be about the specific requirements needed to make the product ready for general consumption.

Focusing on the “why” will bring up questions like, “What problem are we trying to solve?” and “What pain point are we trying to address?” It will be the Product Manager’s job to let everyone involved know and understand the answer to these types of questions.

Engineering Manager Ownership

“How” is the technical solution needed to solve the why and what questions. It falls on the shoulders of the Engineering Manager.

Who gets to do the “how” is also decided by the Engineering Manager. Although it may seem like a straightforward decision, the EM has to consider different factors such as team dynamics and career development.

Although the “when” of the project is mostly the EM’s responsibility, he or she needs to have plenty of conversations with the PM concerning the timeline plus the trade-offs. This ensures that the prioritization of tasks is based on the company or business goals.

How can you gauge your current PM and EM relationship?

If you’re already a Product Manager, you might be wondering where your relationship with your EM sits. Well, we have some suggestions that will help you check the harmony of your working partnership as well as your leadership. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Can your and the engineering team solve the right problem?
2. Does your team work through the best solutions?
3. Does your team have the right set of skills?
4. Is each team motivated to solve the problem(s)?
5. Are people in your team motivated to succeed in their careers?

If you answered yes to all of the questions, you could be on the right track. Your relationship with your EM could be as dynamic as you want it to be, and everyone on both of your teams sees it and is motivated to work under both of your leadership.

On the other hand, if you only said yes to some of the questions stated, there might be areas of improvement that need your attention. It’s best to look at the relationship and your leadership with an honest eye to identify where you’re lacking. Then you and your EM can address it together.

Tips for Bettering the PM and EM Relationship

We can’t always expect the Product Manager and Engineering Manager relationship to be collaborative and outcome-focused. If you’re a Product Manager and your relationship with your EM is negatively affecting your work as well as the product team’s work, we have some tips that could help:

The Same Goals

Of course, both parties have the same ultimate goal which is to deliver a product that’s helpful and useful. However, this isn’t the only goal the PM and EM should have. Both roles have to be aligned with their short-term and long-term goal for each time frame. 

This could require a lot of conversations. Both of you have to be open to having conversations about goals so you can get in the same boat. 

Show Genuine Interest

Everything will just fall into place if the PM and EM show genuine interest in the others’ work. Doing this fosters trust and camaraderie. You’ll be able to collaborate, bouncing off ideas to each other. And each one will be able to understand where the other is coming from when decisions are made.

Same Values and Principles 

The PM and EM answer to different managers but the organization must share the same values and principles so working together will be much easier. These values and principles serve as a guide and should be upheld by both leaders.

Set Expectations Early On

Now let’s talk about setting expectations because it is something that both product leaders are not very familiar with on the get-go. Definitely, the expectations of each manager will depend on the company and the product they are working on. 

So what types of expectations can you set for your EM and vice versa? We’ve listed the basics down to give you an idea:

As the Product Manager, your Engineering Manager expects you to do the following:

Build an Effective Roadmap

The roadmap is going to be everyone’s guide. After you create one, you have to clearly lay it out for everyone to understand. In your description, you have to distinctly tie the roadmap to the company goals so the team has a better grasp of the process and is motivated to do the best they can. 

Spell Out Priorities

Spelling out priorities empowers the Engineering team as it helps them stay focused. There will be other priorities to review but it would be your job as the PM to help the engineering team decide what they currently need to work on. 

Quick Shipping

As the PM, you also decide if the product is good enough to ship to customers. Anything that’s absolutely not required should be cleared off to ensure that shipping is quick. This motivates the engineering team to meet deadlines.

On the other hand, as the Engineering Manager, your Product Manager expects you to handle the following:

Efficient Delivery

As the EM, your development process has to be predictable. By that, we mean that you have to meet deadlines. Customers, other teams, and the higher-ups of the company will be reliant on the release timelines you present. Meeting deadlines will inspire confidence from these stakeholders. Of course, the opposite will happen if deadlines are missed.

Provide Technical Vision

The EM is also a product leader within the development process but he or she has more of an eye when it comes to technical requirements. The PM will have lesser sight on technical aspects so it is the EM’s job to prioritize the stability, scalability, and developer aspects of the project.

Organize and Track

You have to have a good planning system to keep everyone sane during the entire development process. You have to know who is working on what within your team so folks are guided accordingly.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things to do while developing a product. It could feel like the PM and EM are two conductors directing the performance of their teams. But both teams and product leaders need to remember that they have to be in sync for their “orchestra” to sound incredible. 

There’s only one goal the PM and EM need to work towards so both have to find a way to understand the other and become partners.

If you’re planning to become a Product Manager, you may want to check out specific sections on the PM Exercises website. We’ve put together a Product Manager Interview Course along with 2500+ Product Manager Interview Questions with sample answers from our PM community. 

After you sign up and become part of the community, you can contribute questions and answers to the database, and have other members give you feedback.

With the PM Exercises prep course and database of questions, we also have a Practice feature where you can find other product managers who are also prepping for their interviews to practice with.