Soft Skills for an Excellent Product Owner

I want to improve the skills of Product Owners.  I introduced the topic and provided tips about backlog management and authoring user stories.  Today, I will discuss the soft skills a good Product Owner needs to cultivate.  

The Authority and Ability to Say No –

One of the tragedies of the contemporary business world is the number of people who are crushed with responsibility but have no authority over what they do.  Open offices and cubical farms contain many lonely souls who are accountable and responsible for the business's success but have no say in its operation.  Daily they are asked to sacrifice and be team players.  Bathed in toxic positivity, they stifle emotions and abilities for the business and their careers.  The unspoken rule is saying no to a request from leadership is career poison.  Business leaders need to break this cycle of abuse and mediocrity.  The first step is to give Product Owners the ability to set priorities and say no.  It means that they should be director or Vice President level in the organization and responsible for an individual portfolio of work.  

Listening Skills –

A Product Owner needs to learn how to listen.  A product owner will interact with customers, developers, and executives on any day.   Each interaction requires listening skills that account for what is said and intuiting what is left unsaid.  I continue to struggle with this skill because I feel I can continue to understand better the needs of the people I work with daily.  Not only do you have to understand stated and implied meaning in conversation but communicate it to others.  Having listening skills will separate the great product owner from the good.  It requires taking notes, being transparent, and spending plenty of time following up.  

Diplomacy –

Product Owners will find themselves in situations with a significant power imbalance.  These situations will include unhealthy levels of stress.  A key to survival is being diplomatic when everything goes sideways.  Diplomacy requires you to use "please" and "thank-you" when you want to say something else.  It is factually answering questions when being yelled at over a conference call and keeping your mouth shut.  At the same time, your manager attempts to steer a conversation into a more constructive place.  Finally, diplomacy requires you to let someone reveal they are a jerk instead of personally bestowing that title on them.  Being diplomatic does not mean you are a pushover; instead, you are advocating for your team and yourself in a manner that cultivates the respect of others. 

Product Ownership is a difficult job, but it also is an opportunity to deliver value to the organization in a conspicuous role.  The ability to say no, listen and diplomacy make it possible to be an excellent Product Owner.  

Next time we wrap up.