One of the challenges in running a successful agile project is having a strong product owner.
In learning about agile processes, this is an area I haven’t read much about. This recent article on the Scrum Alliance site is a valuable addition and thinking about how to build a better product owner.
Some quotes:
Creating any product can be challenge. With a product being developed at the speed of agility, these challenges increase.
What teams need most is a product owner who is able to prioritize the product backlog.
It’s the product owner’s responsibility to know and communicate a product vision for the team. Knowing where you want to go enables you to reach your destination; the details of getting there we all discover along the way.
Product owners must be able to earn the respect of the team, resolve conflicts through conversations, and adjust priorities accordingly. There are whole books dedicated to managing conflicts. Learning when to take a stand and when to give is important. It is more important, though, that everyone has a voice.
Be concerned about creating a stable environment for the team members to learn and contribute. It’s imperative that you keep the team from being distracted.
The product owner is not a dictated hierarchy, but a service role. The customer, the team, and the company are all tuned around the product by the product owner.
It is worth reading in full.