In the previous sections, I provided a brief introduction to the role of a Product Owner (PO) and described the typical responsibilities and areas of accountability. I also discussed how to manage user needs and requirements. In the previous article, I delved into effective management of the product backlog. Now, I would like to further explore how you, as a PO, can improve your communication and collaboration with stakeholders.
Establish and maintain effective communication
To create the conditions for effective communication with all stakeholders, it is important to start by identifying who the stakeholders are. This can be done in various ways, but I have found that a combination of the following methods works best:
- Stakeholder analysis - Create a list of all groups and individuals who may be affected by or have an interest in the product your team is developing. It is important to think broadly and not narrow down too much at this stage. You can always refine the list later. Stakeholders may include customers, managers, clients, investors, marketers, support personnel, end-users, operations technicians, and more. Also, remember that the stakeholder list is a living document. Some stakeholders may be added, and others may be removed as the product and/or organization evolves.
- Brainstorming and involving external perspectives - Arrange sessions with both your team and external individuals or groups who may have an interest in the product. Together, brainstorm ideas about potential stakeholders.
- Reviewing data and documentation - Analyze data from source code repositories, databases, and previous documentation to gain valuable insights into past stakeholders. This could include old customer surveys, brainstorming sessions, or other types of market research.
- Interviews, surveys, personas, and ecosystem analysis - As I mentioned before, interviews and personas can be useful tools here as well. By incorporating the product's ecosystem, you can gain a broader perspective by studying the market in which your product will operate.
Once you have an understanding of who the stakeholders are, it is time to establish both formal and informal communication channels with them. The more formal aspect involves creating and agreeing upon a communication plan that clearly defines whom you need to communicate with, how often and under what circumstances, and which tools will be used.
This section also includes defining the meeting structure. Are there meetings with the same stakeholders at different levels, such as operational, tactical, and strategic meetings? How often should these different groupings meet, and which individuals/roles should be involved in these meetings?
As with any communication, formal or informal, it is important to be attentive, responsive, and actively listen. Additionally, aim to create transparent and accessible documentation, whether it's meeting minutes, reports, email threads, or other forms of communication.
Create clarity about the product's vision and goals
Clarity and openness are crucial when conveying both short-term and long-term goals for the product. As a PO, it is beneficial to clearly explain what the product aims to achieve and the benefits it offers. Use simple and concrete terms to help stakeholders understand the product, its offerings, and the needs it addresses.
The advantage of the established communication discussed earlier is that stakeholders encounter fewer unpleasant surprises. This is because they are involved in the entire process of defining goals and vision for the product, and we have ongoing meetings where we discuss any changes and/or altered conditions.
These regular meetings also involve engaging stakeholders in the ongoing development of the product. This can be done through product demonstrations, evaluation sessions, user testing, and more. The more you involve stakeholders and engage them early on, the less time you need to spend aligning, motivating, and adapting the product's goals and vision.
Manage expectations and differences of opinion
Since stakeholders consist of individuals from different parts of the organization or represent different types of customers, there will be questions, expectations, or desires where various groups may have differing opinions. In some cases, it may be possible to satisfy all requests, even though discussions on prioritization may become heated.
What is important is to be attentive, flexible, and empathetic in these situations. As I mentioned earlier, active listening becomes even more crucial when conflicts arise. Try to genuinely understand the different perspectives and motivations behind their opinions.
Weigh all their arguments and strive to find satisfactory solutions or at least solutions that cause the least disruption. As a PO, balance this with the product's growth and the team's capacity. Avoid getting caught up in a blame game where finding a scapegoat is the objective. Instead, focus on finding solutions and use the same principles as when handling incidents:
- What happened? Describe the conflict/difference of opinion.
- Why did the conflict arise?
- How did we resolve the conflict? Did it involve a compromise? A democratic decision?
- How can we minimize the risk of similar conflicts arising again?
Build long-term constructive relationships
In conclusion, all the preceding steps contribute to building meaningful, long-term, constructive relationships with stakeholders. As long as you are proactive in your communication and interaction with stakeholders, demonstrating your commitment and willingness to collaborate, you will build valuable trust in your relationships.
Openness, transparency, honesty, combined with active, empathetic listening, also help create trust in the relationship. Continuously invest in further developing collaboration for easier attainment of shared goals and successes for the product.
Now that we have laid a solid foundation for our team and our product, in the next article, I will discuss how to effectively manage the product development process.
