team and po collaboration Archives - Page 2 of 17

Michael Schmidt: When Ego Hinders Progress For PO’s, The Overconfident Product Owner

The Great Product Owner: Building Respect and Trust With The Team, The Skills of a Great PO

In this episode, Michael shares an insightful story of a product manager turned Product Owner, faced with the challenges of a complex, high-tech product. Despite initial uncertainty, she learned to trust her team’s expertise and leaned on them for guidance. This shift in approach earned her the respect and credibility of her team. Michael emphasizes the importance of seeking help from the team and highlights this as a key trait of a great Product Owner. This episode provides valuable insights into the qualities that define an exceptional Product Owner.

The Bad Product Owner: When Ego Hinders Progress For PO’s, The Overconfident PO

In this episode, Michael recounts an encounter with a Product Owner (PO) who was overconfident in their skills, while at the same time not providing enough information in user stories, forcing the team to guess what was asked. Despite attempts to offer help, the PO refused assistance, ultimately causing friction. When the situation escalated, the manager intervened, resulting in Michael’s departure from the team. Michael stresses the importance of highlighting the impact on the team and offering constructive feedback on user stories. He introduces the “Michael test” for evaluating a PO’s ability to perform in that role.

The Ultimate Guide to Supporting Product Owners as a Scrum Master

Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate.

About Michael Schmidt

Michael a Berlin-based Agile Coach for teams, roles and organisations around software based product development. Michael invented “the taskboard” on his own, which ignited his working agile by conviction some 13 years ago.

You can link with Michael Schmidt on LinkedIn and connect with Michael Schmidt on Twitter.

Konstantin Ribel: The Product Owner Turnaround With The Help of Real-Time Feedback By The Scrum Master

The Great Product Owner: The PO That Looked At Backlog Items As Investments

Konstantin describes for us a standout Product Owner with a strong business focus. This PO viewed work time as an investment, carefully considering the team’s use of their time. They treated backlog items as hypotheses, emphasizing the need for validation with real customers. Seeking feedback on these hypotheses and involving the team in refinement and customer reviews were key practices. The team’s active participation in feedback cycles played a crucial role in value creation. Konstantin also recommends organizing sprint reviews with customers for optimal product development.

The Bad Product Owner: The PO Turnaround With The Help of Real-Time Feedback By The Scrum Master

Konstantin describes a micromanaging Product Owner who controlled backlog and daily tasks, pushing the team to learn to just be passive. Despite good intentions, the PO needed guidance. Konstantin, observing from a coaching standpoint, intervened by suggesting private feedback sessions and offering real-time behavior insights. The fact that the team worked remotely made the issue even worse. But, with Konstantin’s help, the PO’s realization of their behavior marked a turning point. Konstantin advises using real-time feedback and creating a timeline of events to foster awareness and change within the team.

The Ultimate Guide to Supporting Product Owners as a Scrum Master

About Konstantin Ribel

Konstantin drives organizational success through innovative thinking, simplifying processes, and building high-performing teams. With a strong track record in change management and process optimization, he leads agile transformations and applies systems thinking for adaptable, thriving businesses in dynamic industries.

You can link with Konstantin Ribel on LinkedIn.

Aki Salmi: Trust, Transparency, and Vision, A Guide to Effective Product Ownership

In this episode, Aki shares insights on what makes a great product owner. He highlights the importance of close collaboration between the team and the product owner to ensure a clear understanding of the “why” behind each backlog item. Aki recounts a positive experience where the team and PM worked together every Monday to define objectives. He emphasizes the value of ensemble work or mob programming for effective communication. Aki advises building trust, maintaining a coherent product vision, and addressing any fears around transparency within the team.

The Ultimate Guide to Supporting Product Owners as a Scrum Master

About Aki Salmi

Aki is a software crafter and shares the joy of coding and the value of empathy at work. That is, Aki works on ones and zeros (code) and everything else (humans).

You can link with Aki Salmi on LinkedIn.

Lorraine Chambers: When Product Owners Are Spread Thin, And How To Overcome The Absent PO Anti-pattern

The Great Product Owner: The Growth-Oriented PO

This Product Owner (PO) ensured every team member had a voice, fostering an environment for experimentation and ideation. They facilitated developer participation in hackathons and effectively communicated the vision and roadmap. The backlog was consistently well-organized and prioritized. The PO actively shared feedback, motivating the team. They sought opportunities for recognition and took pride in sprint reviews. This PO’s commitment extended to continuous learning and self-improvement through training, events, and meetups, reflecting a growth-oriented mindset nurtured through Lorraine’s coaching.

The Bad Product Owner: When Product Owners Are Spread Thin, And How To Overcome The Absent PO Anti-pattern

Lorraine recounts an experience with a PO that was often absent. The Product Owner was spread thin across multiple teams, leading to scheduling conflicts with scrum events. This resulted in a disorganized backlog and a lack of a clear vision. Open, candid conversations were crucial in highlighting the impact on the team. Together, Lorraine and the PO adjusted the calendar to prioritize the team’s needs. With improved availability, the team thrived. Lorraine also collaborated with the PO to advocate for more dedicated time from management.

The Ultimate Guide to Supporting Product Owners as a Scrum Master

About Lorraine Chambers

Lorraine’s vision of excellence is summed up in the words of philosopher, Lao Tzu — “A leader is best when people barely know he exists … ” She’s held several roles in the Fintech industry, including Product Owner and Quality Assurance. She’s a native New Yorker that loves travel, music and museums.

You can link with Lorraine Chambers on LinkedIn and connect with Lorraine Chambers on Instagram.

Tom Siebeneicher: The Agile Product Owner, The Necessary Adaptation of PO to a New Team

The Great Product Owner: The Software Designer PO Anti-pattern

In this episode, Tom highlights anti-patterns like a lack of trust in the team’s judgment and over-explanation of implementation details. Tom offers a valuable tip of using stories to illustrate the distinction between “how” and “why” for effective communication. He underscores the importance of clearly defining Acceptance Criteria (ACs) while avoiding dictating the solution’s appearance. Tom also emphasizes the need for coaching efforts directed towards the team’s understanding and collaboration, demonstrating the reciprocal nature of the Product Owner role.

The Bad Product Owner: The Art of Adaptation, The Necessary Adaptation of PO to a New Team

Tom delves into the nuances of an effective Product Owner (PO). Tom shares a cautionary tale of a PO’s performance shift after changing teams, emphasizing the importance of aligning behavior with team needs. He advises against expecting uniformity and highlights the role of self-awareness in fostering an environment of growth and effectiveness. He emphasizes the need to adapt PO behaviors between different teams, underscoring the need for refined communication. Prioritization, a crucial aspect, is explored in depth.

The Ultimate Guide to Supporting Product Owners as a Scrum Master

About Tom Siebeneicher

Tom is an engaging speaker, who has delivered presentations at conferences like the Atos DREAM Conference, the Agile Leadership Day, and TED XKE by Xebia. Their enthusiasm for discussing Agile is evident in those talks.

You can link with Tom Siebeneicher on LinkedIn.