La relaci\u00f3n entre el Product Owner, los Scrum Masters y los desarrolladores es fundamental para el \u00e9xito de un equipo \u00c1gil. It\u2019s a symbiotic relationship that relies on clear communication, aligned goals, transparency, and is founded on trust. Building a product that is widely adopted or continuous improvement is the usual goal, but the cohesion and dynamics of the team can determine how smooth and pain-free that process is.<\/p>\n
We wanted to learn more, so we went out to find a Product Owner to share their insights and stories.<\/p>\n
Tras su presentaci\u00f3n de la hoja de ruta del producto en el Perth Agile MeetUp, nos sentamos con Adam Mullett, autor del libro From \u201cNo\u201d to \u201cHow?: Get Buy-in and Lead Change<\/em><\/a> y Product Owner, para pedirle su opini\u00f3n sobre el nivel de implicaci\u00f3n que un Product Owner deber\u00eda tener en una Retrospectiva.<\/p>\n Lo que obtuvimos fue m\u00e1s que una simple respuesta a una pregunta, sino una demostraci\u00f3n del papel del Product Owner y una renovada apreciaci\u00f3n de la confianza, la transparencia y la disciplina.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Adam seemed somewhat taken aback when asked if a Product Owner should be involved in the retrospective.<\/p>\n The question stemmed from the observation that some people involved in agile perceived the presence of the Product Owner at the retrospective as optional, or even a hindrance.<\/p>\n After only a brief pause, his response was an emphatic \u201cyes!\u201d<\/p>\n He went on to outline \u2018why\u2019 –<\/p>\n Uno de los aspectos importantes de \u00c1gil es que no se trata de ser r\u00e1pido, sino de ser adaptable, lo que conduce a un mayor \u00e9xito, como una mejor adopci\u00f3n de un producto.<\/p>\n When it comes to running a team\u2019s retrospectives, not only is it important to facilitate the process but it\u2019s equally important to manage the culture. The team relies so much on the direction and the input of the Product Owner as a subject matter expert. The Product Owner fosters an environment in which a can team can strive to be high performing, being responsible for outcomes, and self-managing so that they remain accountable to their stakeholders.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Adam perceives that fundamental to the fabric of a Product Owner is trust and transparency.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, being transparent is a gift because you are sharing what you think or what you know. If the team can\u2019t get that out of you, then you aren\u2019t giving them what they need to make them successful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo deber\u00eda haber secretos entre el equipo, el Scrum Master y el PO. En mi caso, me centrar\u00eda en esas cosas. Prefiero plantear el problema y sumergirme en el conflicto antes que dejar que se agrave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to discover something that is stopping a team from going forward is really valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam offered an example of two team members who weren\u2019t not talking to each other in a team he once coached.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was unfathomable! So, if there was a comment connected to the issue made during the retrospective, I would keep diving in, drilling down into the \u2018why\u2019, until they realized that their lack of communication was the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the approach was somewhat confrontational, once the issue was brought to the fore it was easier to address, and team members were later thankful the matter had been sorted.<\/p>\n \u201cSorting out these types of issues could be as simple as offering different working hours. Not talking to another was simply not a good reason to not be a high-performing team. \u201c<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> A Product Owner should keep collaboration front of mind, which is why Adam aims to co-create.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m doing something, I want to do it with you, not to you. No change will ever be successful if you\u2019re doing it alone\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause team collaboration is needed for co-creation to take place, i<\/strong>t\u2019s important to know how and when to bring people into the conversation. Choosing the way conversations happen can make a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c<\/strong>For example, it\u2019s easier to show someone your work, rather than having to convince them. A one hour prototype that you can talk to is much more effective sometimes than a big planning session where you are trying to sell your idea. Other times it might be better to co-create.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> When discipline is viewed as a platform of support rather than a barrier to flexibility, it can act as a mechanism of team empowerment.<\/p>\n Discipline can be as simple as starting a meeting on time, finishing on time, and having a strict definition of \u2018ready\u2019. They are the small, agreed behaviors to which team members adhere with a view to mindfully improving team cohesion and respect.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Adam\u2019s view that with discipline, healthy habits can be fostered that support high functioning teams.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a Product Owner in a project where there were 23 teams and a general mindset of getting through this sprint, then another sprint, and another sprint, and so on, just get through the sprint however we could.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we started to become more disciplined in the sprint.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was tough in the first month because we were trying to do two things at once. But after that, it was smooth sailing. And the team was able to continue improving and growing as a high-performing team. In fact, others in the organization were wanting to be part of that team.\u201d<\/p>\n It was also observed that the teams that lacked discipline would experience problems.<\/p>\n So what should happen if team members didn\u2019t embrace a disciplined approach?<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone comes unprepared, then it\u2019s important to make the purpose of the meeting clear and how their actions do not support that purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about focus. During product grooming, for example, if people start to talk about a particular ticket, then it\u2019s about bringing the focus back to why we are having this meeting and what we are aiming to achieve as an outcome for that ceremony.\u201d<\/p>\n Por supuesto, el Scrum Master ayuda a mantener esta disciplina.<\/p>\n In terms of their retro, Adam added that once a team understands and appreciates the structure their discipline has built, they are far more focused and efficient, without having to engage in System 2 thinking, as described in the book Thinking Fast and Slow<\/a> by Daniel Kahneman.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a clear process keeps things easy. Teams don\u2019t want to have to worry about things such as which room or which technology they are using. Their focus is on the actual problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> As far as Adam is concerned, there is no lack of clarity as to the role of the Product Owner; if you are a Product Owner, you are part of the agile team.<\/p>\n \u201cSiento que es el papel del Product Owner, con el apoyo del Scrum Master, construir la cultura y crear claridad para el equipo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTeams hate not knowing where they are going. They turn on each other, they get antsy, they try to look busy, and all sorts of other dysfunctions. If you can give people a reason, a \u2018why\u2019, a strategic direction, then they will say \u2018okay, cool. Got it!\u2019 So it’s about being loosely coupled but tightly aligned. That way we all know where we are going then allow the team to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam has worked with fully in-person, remote, and hybrid teams. For 18 months, he worked with people spread from Sydney through to India. No matter the make-up, one of the success factors of a high-performing team was the understanding of what would happen next.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if one thing happens in our retrospective, then someone would go off to create a ticket in Jira. People could still work together even if they weren\u2019t always in the same room. Having strong ways of working helped to accommodate that\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Circling back to the question of the role of the Product Owner in the retrospective, Adam noted the Product Owner is a participant.<\/p>\n In his opinion, the retrospective itself can be run by anyone in the team, with his preference that the facilitation be rotated amongst team members so that those skills can be developed and appreciated by the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the team wants the PO to be honest and to be open as they participate\u201d<\/p>\n In terms of what a product owner hopes to help achieve at a retro, Adam\u2019s response is simple – it\u2019s for the team to get better at what they are doing.<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the PO is accountable for outcomes to the organization in terms of how long something took through to resources used. The team is responsible for delivering the outcomes. So the Smart PO will attend the retrospective to listen. They won\u2019t tell people what to do, or that they should do it \u201cthis way\u201d. If the team already knew, they would have done it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam views the retrospective as an opportunity for the team to –<\/p>\n The Product Owner wants to help build a high performing team for many reasons –<\/p>\n as features get developed over time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> So why do retros work?<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s because the team is empowered to come up with things that they can change. They can define SMART goals that they can put into effect over the next two weeks. They are coming up with the problem that impacts them, so they are self-directed to the change.\u201d<\/p>\n It was noted that some people may fear change because something is being done to them, and they don\u2019t feel like they have the control.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething I reference in From “No” to “How?”, is the sphere of influence and loci of control. It\u2019s important to help the team focus their conversations on where their locus of control lies so that they are empowered and feel capable of making changes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey should feel they can lean on the PO to leverage their influence or social capital to influence beyond the team\u2019s sphere of influence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the meantime, if an agile team feels like they are in control of their destiny, then they can change their world and make things happen. They feel more empowered to do things and can then go ahead and get things done.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> We couldn\u2019t let Adam go without asking for his advice as to how to transition a team from dysfunction to high performance.<\/p>\n The key take-aways:<\/p>\n Do you have any other insights<\/a> or stories to share about how you have improved working relationships between your scrum team and product owner? We\u2019d love for you to share with us<\/a>.<\/p>\n About Adam Mullett<\/a><\/p>\nLa relaci\u00f3n entre el Product Owner, los Scrum Masters y el equipo \u00c1gil<\/h2>\n<\/div>
Trust and transparency<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>
Bring people into the conversation<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>
Be disciplined with process and outcomes<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>
Build up your team as they build solutions<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>
The role of the product owner in an agile retrospective<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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Encourage and enable changes at your retros<\/h2>\n<\/div>
C\u00f3mo un Product Owner puede guiar a un equipo para evitar la disfunci\u00f3n<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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