The Traffic Exercise: A Fun Way to Assess Product Management Style

Product managers are essential for any business looking to develop new products or improve existing ones. However, finding the right candidate for the job can be a challenge. While resumes and interviews can give some insight into a candidate's qualifications, they don't always provide a complete picture of their product management style. That's where the "Traffic Exercise" comes in.

The "Traffic Exercise" is a fun and engaging game that challenges candidates to create effective user journeys for a given junction diagram. By analyzing their approach to the exercise, hiring managers can gain valuable insights into a candidate's product management style and determine their fit for their organization's product development goals.

Here's how the exercise works:

1. Provide candidates with a diagram of a junction with four or six lanes.
2. Ask candidates to create effective user journeys for the given lanes, taking into account factors like traffic flow, user preferences, and business goals.
3. Evaluate each candidate's approach to the exercise to gain insights into their product management style.

For example, a candidate who prioritizes risk-aversion may be more suited to managing established products, while a candidate who is more innovative may be better suited to developing new products. Similarly, a candidate who focuses heavily on data analysis may be better suited to optimizing existing products, while a candidate who prioritizes customer feedback may be better suited to developing new products.

The "Traffic Exercise" can be a valuable tool for hiring managers looking to assess candidates for their product management roles. By evaluating a candidate's approach to creating effective user journeys, hiring managers can gain valuable insights into their creativity, risk tolerance, data-driven decision-making, and customer focus.

Overall, the "Traffic Exercise" is a fun and innovative way to assess product management style. By using this exercise as part of your hiring process, you can ensure that you're selecting the right candidate for your organization's product development goals.