What Does the VP Product Development Really Do?

What does the VP product development really do? Read on to learn more.

What Does the VP Product Development Really Do?

Represent the Customer

An executive vice president of product development is responsible for bringing the customer inside.

Having the customer’s needs at the top of the list is not enough for the team. He must take into account the entire product experience.

At every level of product creation, the consumer must be considered. If a company wants to sell a product, then it must be a product that people want to use.

This executive is also responsible for making sure that the entire team understands the voice of the customer. This means that they will need to work as a team with as many departments as possible.

Be a Leader

The vice president of product development must be a leader. He will need to have an understanding of all aspects of the product development process. This includes marketing, manufacturing, engineering, and finance.

He will also need to be able to persuade people to follow his vision and take on his ideas. This is a person who can communicate with designers, engineers, and executives all at once.

He must have strong communication skills and be able to effectively relay information from the top-down and from the bottom up.

As a leader, he must also be able to motivate people in order to get them to take action on his ideas. He must also be able to delegate tasks in order for the job to get done efficiently.

Respect for Diversity & Collaboration

Collaboration is key to successful product development. The executive vice president of product development must foster an environment where people feel safe expressing their ideas and opinions. 

He will also need to value different opinions in order for the team to grow and evolve. A vice president of product development should welcome all types of people who bring different backgrounds and perspectives to the table. 

He should respect what every member brings to the team. Even if it’s something that he doesn’t agree with at the moment, he should always consider what could be learned from it in order for him to grow as well. 

It’s important that no one feels like their opinion is not valued, because it is vital information in creating a successful product.

A VP of product development must always remember that the product is not his; it belongs to everyone involved in its creation.

Fostering Communication

The vice president of product development must be able to communicate effectively. This means he will need to be able to talk with people from different backgrounds and work styles.

This will require that he understands that there are various styles for communication and that not everyone communicates the same way. He will need to work on his communication style in order to get his ideas across and ensure that they are heard. 

He will also need to communicate with others inside and outside of the company. This includes marketing, manufacturing, finance, operations, and other departments. He must be able to relay information from the top-down and from the bottom up.

It’s also important for him to learn how to listen well so he can take in all the information he needs in order for him to make good decisions.