We will remember the end of the COVID pandemic as a combination of science-fiction, fantasy, farce, and tragedy. I was on a plane to have dinner with a client while tanks began rolling into Ukraine. The contradictions between my life and the peril of others were oppressive.
Still, the business world continued to turn, and clients were looking for ways to do business smarter and faster. I am a minor player in the global business story, but my role is to make a difference. Part of that difference is to help improve product ownership in the agile reformation. I have authored numerous blog posts about product ownership, and I have advocated for something called "healthy ownership," which began at the 2018 Agile Coaching Retreat in London. Today, I am starting a series of posts on being a better product owner and developing beneficial ownership on your team.
Healthy ownership began when I had a jetlagged rant about the quality of the product owners at my organization. I asked if I could instill good habits among product owners and respect the developers. Then, I found a group of like-minded individuals, and we got to work. An agile team requires trust and interdependence to be successful. The team then takes collective responsibility for its outcomes to have healthy ownership. It is a goal I think each team should strive to achieve.
Product owners should begin by having an open dialog with team members. It would help to ask the teams what works and what does not. Take time and listen to what they are saying. What are the team's frustrations, and what do they need to overcome those frustrations? Assume good intentions unless proven otherwise. Finally, collect data from the group and make it meaningful.
As a coach, teach product owners the D.E.E.P model of backlog management. Let new product owners write user stories and then get them to critique their work. Have developers push back on user stories that are unclear or incomplete. The trial and error approach may be more clumsy, but it will help develop more skill and confidence in the long run.
Product ownership requires more than writing user stories and gathering estimates. It is not an easy job, but it can be a force multiplier if done well. It takes clear communication with the team and understanding the social compact, which guides agile, and it takes interaction with business partners and saying "no" when necessary.
We will talk about being a better product owner for the next few weeks. We will have a blueprint to create healthy ownership in your organization by the end of our journey.
Next week, the D.E.E.P model of managing a product backlog.
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