What makes you a good Product Owner?
Hey there! If you’re looking to up your game as a product owner or trying to figure out how to rock this role, you’ve come to the right place. This article’s got your back!
Being a product owner is a relatively new gig, so don’t worry if it feels a bit overwhelming at first. Just like Roman Pichler highlights in his book mentioned in his book “Agile Product Management with Scrum” there are five key characteristics that define this role:
1. Visionary and Doer
As a product owner, you gotta see that vision through from start to finish. That means describing requirements, working closely with the team, accepting or rejecting work results, and steering the project in the right direction. You need to understand the product inside out and know what the users want. Think of it like how Bill Gates created something amazing from scratch and knew exactly where it was heading.
2. Leader and Team Player
You’re the one responsible for the success of the product, so you’ve gotta provide guidance and direction for everyone involved in the development process. But hey, that doesn’t mean you’re a bossy boots. You also need to be an awesome team player, just like Derek Jeter, the legendary “Captain” of the New York Yankees. He led the team while being a great teammate, both on defense and offense. So, remember to balance the leader and team player vibes.
3. Communicator and Negotiator
Communication is the name of the game. As a product owner, you’ll be talking with customers, users, developers, marketers, and basically everyone else in the mix. You gotta bridge the gap between “the suits” and “the techies.” It’s a mix of being Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, and the ultimate negotiator, Nelson Mandela. Quite a combo, right? But with effective communication and negotiation skills, you’ll rock this role.
4. Empowered and Committed
You need the authority and support to lead the development effort and make those crucial decisions. You’re like an influencer in the team, freely proposing ideas and guiding the project. Your empowerment comes from having management support and the trust of both leaders and the team. So be an idea machine and make things happen!
5. Available and Qualified
It’s important to have enough time to handle your responsibilities sustainably. If you’re overloaded, the progress of the project and the product itself might suffer. And of course, you need to be well-equipped for the job. You should have a deep understanding of the customer and the market, a passion for the user experience, and the ability to communicate needs and requirements. It’s like you’re the Scrum dynamic duo with the scrum master!
So, if you’re embarking on the journey of becoming a product owner, keep these principles and characteristics in mind. They’ll be your guide to success! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, let’s start a conversation! And if you enjoyed this article, check out my other post about Self Organized Teams, What you Need and What it Means to Me.
Reference:
Pichler, R.2010. Agile Product Management with Scrum. https://www.amazon.ca/Agile-Product-Management-Scrum-Customers/dp/0321605780/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Agile+Product+Management+with+Scrum&qid=1588001169&sr=8-1
