The ideal company grows in such a way that it contains a balance of all the various strengths it needs: marketing, sales, technical knowledge, customer service, and management. Each function, such as Marketing, has its inherent strengths and weaknesses. One function’s weaknesses are balanced out by strengths from other functions.

Well, that’s the ideal, anyway. But we have all seen companies that are out of balance, due to a lack of manpower or ability in one of the necessary functions. This leaves them exposed to major failings.

Product Managers are in a unique position to act as a counterbalance when they find themselves in a company in such a situation. This is because the nature of their position calls for them to cross between functional boundaries in order to get the many moving parts to work together as a whole.

Read on below for some ideas on how to help improve a company situation when it is out of balance.