Micro-Interview: Galina Rezvaya | Lead PM | Acronis | Tips on Influencing Stakeholders
💬"Determining the key stakeholders depends on what you're trying to achieve."
Galina Rezvaya is a Lead Product Manager at Acronis, a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for MSPs, SMBs, and enterprises.
In under 500 words, she shares:
How she determines the most critical stakeholders to work with…
What her most formidable stakeholder challenge was…
Some of her sources of learning…
And more…
Enjoy!
“How did you get into product management?”
After trying out roles in quality assurance, project management, and development, I moved into product management. I felt that these roles did not fully utilize the combination of my technical and communication skills. I expressed my interest in product management to my colleagues, and the idea received support. Watching my colleagues work on business tasks and technical requirements increased my interest, and their support was crucial.
“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”
Determining the key stakeholders depends on what you're trying to achieve.
Once you set a clear and achievable goal, you can see how to get there. You mainly follow set processes and make sure everyone is aligned. In other cases, you need to figure out what essential changes are required and what steps need to be taken to make those changes.
“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”
The most effective way to influence stakeholders is to present clear, data-supported arguments. You don't need anything else if you understand your business well and can make strong arguments with data.
I wish I had known from the start the importance of finding common goals with stakeholders so that everyone feels involved and works harder rather than trying to convince everyone to see things from my perspective.
What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?
The biggest challenge has been, and likely always will be, managing the lack of time due to the high team load. This has taught me to be creative and proactive. Instead of waiting my turn and giving up, I learned to think differently and act quickly.
When solving problems on my own or with the support of your team, I take the initiative rather than wait.
This roughly describes how I learned Python and how to write marketing texts. I've also learned the importance of investing in my team. A team of true professionals always helps you excel.
What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?
To align stakeholders, I try to think from their perspective and speak their language. This means discussing technical details with developers and benefits and value with marketing teams.
Being able to switch between discussing business and technical topics is key for every product manager.
How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?
I don't follow any specific program to stay updated. Occasionally, I read articles (HBR, Medium, and what I get from Google Alerts) or take courses in relevant areas. I think my natural curiosity drives me to learn how other departments operate, what processes they use, and how they measure success. I think that helps the most.