Do Agile Product Owners need training to succeed?

In this episode of my blog series on “Anti-patterns that doom a Product Owner to fail,” I tackle the topic of whether training is needed for new Product Owners to succeed. I do believe certain people can jump right into the role (depending on their background), but for most people, training provides an essential foundation when you first become a Product Owner.

So, let’s discuss a few Product Ownership anti-patterns that might endanger the PO’s ability to succeed in the role:

The Product Owner doesn’t understand Agile tools and practices

Problem

Before you can even think about assigning someone to the Product Owner role, s/he must first understand the basic principles of Agile. If someone has never had exposure to Agile concepts, fitting into an Agile team as an effective Product Owner won’t work.

Solution

Provide your new Product Owner with as much information about Agile as possible. Give the new PO the link to the Agile Manifesto, and make sure the principles are well understood. Also, be sure to instill the idea that Agile is not something you do, nor is it a destination – it’s a mindset.

“We are uncovering better ways of developing
software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.”

– The Agile Manifesto

The Product Owner is unable to adopt an Agile mindset

Problem

So, you’ve provided information about Agile to your new Product Owner, but even though they know about the ideas, they haven’t internalized the concepts. Knowing the basics of Agile isn’t enough; you must also shift your mindset. It’s akin to changing from a fixed to a growth mindset – and if it’s new or foreign to you, it might not be an easy thing to change.

Solution

Changing how you think about things is one of the most challenging problems to solve in Agile, not just for Product Owners. Anyone transitioning from traditional project approaches to Agile can face this problem. I don’t think there’s a magic bullet to fix this. For me, it took being immersed on a Scrum Team and seeing how it worked first-hand before it started to sink in; this experience allowed me to change my position and make that mindset shift.

The Product Owner has no formal training as a Product Owner

Problem

You can’t just slap the title “Product Owner” on someone and expect them to do the job successfully. Being a Product Owner is the most challenging role on a Scrum Team, and without training, things can (and will) go wrong.

Solution

Provide training for new or aspiring Product Owners. Some other professions are very natural feeder roles for the Product Owner job (such as Business Analysts), but that doesn’t mean they will be ready to hit the ground running with all the skills, knowledge, and experience needed. Yes, it will be an investment, but it is worth every penny, trust me. And make sure the training option you choose is credible. I highly recommend any of the courses (and certifications) from the skilled professional trainers at Scrum.org.

The Product Owner doesn’t have the right skills and traits

Problem

Training is helpful, but it’s often not enough by itself. For Product Owners to be successful, they also need to possess specific skills and traits; the list is long, and it may be hard (if not impossible) to find someone who has everything you need.

Solution

Leverage the skills and traits the new Product Owner already has but be sure there is a clear development plan to learn skills that s/he lacks. Many skills are teachable, whereas traits are part of one’s personality and are not easily changed. If you must pick between candidates where one has the skills but not the traits, and the other has the traits but not the skills, choose the latter.

The Product Owner doesn’t leverage the Scrum Master as a coach

Problem

The great thing about being a new Product Owner is that you’re not alone. You have a built-in coach and trainer in the Scrum Master. If you don’t take advantage of this, you’re missing out on a wealth of information and experience.

Solution

The Scrum Master exists to help the Scrum Team and partner with the Product Owner to find the best ways to do things. So use your Scrum Master! Lean on him/her for anything you need – be it:

The Scrum Master can guide you to success if you don’t know everything – so take advantage of it!

Final Thoughts

Being a Product Owner is no easy feat, and it’s that much more difficult if your organization isn’t willing to provide you with the proper training, coaching, and support you need to succeed in the role. Learn everything that you can about Agile and adopt a growth mindset. And, of course, leverage your Scrum Master – you’ll be much more successful.

Now, let me know what you think. Do you think it’s essential for Product Owners to receive formal training? How about more informal training? What about self-directed learning? I happen to think that new Product Owners will be much more successful with training, but I think some can be without it. Chime in the comments and let me know your thoughts!