In this edition of my blog series on “Anti-patterns that doom a Product Owner to fail” I cover many problems and struggles that can occur between Product Owners and their stakeholders. Most of these anti-patterns are avoidable, so check it out to see if you have experienced any of these issues.
The most powerful or influential stakeholders are catered to
Problem
I have seen this problem crop up many times. When there is a powerful or influential stakeholder, this person usually wins. This dominant personality tends to drown out the thoughts and opinions of others.
Solution
When working with stakeholders, the Product Owner must allow all stakeholders to provide their input or feedback. If this is difficult, it may mean taking a different approach than you otherwise would, such as speaking to stakeholders individually rather than as a group. And if you are facilitating a group discussion, make sure that everyone feels psychologically safe and that the strong person is not the only contributor.
Unable to get stakeholder interest or buy-in
Problem
It can be challenging to get stakeholders to buy in. When your stakeholders show little interest in what you’re doing, it’s very demotivating. But most stakeholders have “day jobs,” and your project might be a sideline for them. Just because you are the Product Owner of your product doesn’t necessarily mean that your stakeholders will care about it (even if they should).
Solution
When stakeholder involvement is lackluster, a Product Owner needs to get creative. To solve this problem, try some experiments. You could turn it into a game or offer an incentive. You could also create proofs of concept so your stakeholders can envision what’s possible. Eventually, with enough inducement (and patience on your part), a lightbulb will turn on in your stakeholders’ heads.
Has too many stakeholders to manage and align
Problem
Ever heard the phrase that there are “too many cooks in the kitchen”? When you have an unmanageable number of stakeholders, it’s tough to get them to align and come to an agreement. As a Product Owner, you feel like you’re getting pulled in a thousand different directions all at once, and you can’t control the chaos.
Solution
Here’s another phrase that comes to mind: “keep the wheat but cut the chaff.” You should remove extraneous people from the puzzle. By doing so, you get rid of the dead weight (but do it with tact, of course). You could also consolidate the number of stakeholders by having only one person represent each stakeholder area of interest. Three people from one single department don’t need to be at every single stakeholder discussion. My advice is to try and keep the number of stakeholders about the same size as a Scrum Team – no more than 10. Anything larger than that, and you’re begging for trouble.
Stakeholders are inaccessible or unavailable
Problem
Do you remember that your stakeholders usually have a “day job”? Because they already have a full-time gig, it might be challenging to get any of their time. When this happens, it means you are operating as a Product Owner in a silo, which you’re not supposed to do. When you start acting without input from stakeholders, there’s a high probability that you will end up building the wrong product.
Solution
Carve time out with stakeholders well in advance of when you need their time. Many people have back-to-back meetings, and it can be hard to get on their calendar last-minute. By scheduling upfront, you avoid the risk that the person won’t make time for you. Another solution to this problem is setting up recurring meetings when necessary. That way, the stakeholder’s time is regularly reserved for you.
Decisions are made without stakeholder consultation
Problem
When this problem occurs, it’s not a lack of stakeholder availability that’s at issue – it’s the Product Owner doing things without even bothering to engage the stakeholders. This type of Product Owner sees their role as more of a fiefdom than a collaboration, and the stakeholders represent the village serfs. Who wants to treated like that?
Solution
Don’t try to go it alone as a Product Owner – this is not a job that anyone can do alone. Every Product Owner represents a set of customers and stakeholders, and they cannot and should not ignore them. Always seek information and opinions from people who a stake in your product.
The team can’t directly communicate with stakeholders
Problem
In this situation, the Product Owner acts more like a bouncer at a nightclub than a Product Owner. Instead of letting the Scrum Team communicate directly with stakeholders, the PO is a gatekeeper – s/he’s a go-between and a buffer between the stakeholders and the team. This is one of the main reasons that Agile was born – to get rid of bureaucracy and enable communication and collaboration.
Solution
Don’t be your team’s blocker! If a Developer has a question and needs an answer, but you don’t know what the answer is, don’t prevent the person from going straight to the source – the stakeholder. By getting out of the way, you help the team get responses as quickly as possible and engender teamwork among all parties, rather than it being “us versus them.”
Stakeholder/customer feedback is ignored
Problem
You took the time to engage your stakeholders. Their feedback was captured and recorded. But then you didn’t do anything with it! If you hear your stakeholders but don’t act on what they said, you may as well have never talked to them! When people give you their time, it’s a common courtesy to make sure that the time is well-used and leads to a positive outcome.
Solution
Ignore your stakeholders at your peril. Instead, listen to what they have to say, and make sure that you hear their feedback and opinions. If they have a request, add it to the Product Backlog for evaluation and prioritization. When the stakeholders see that their items are visibly on your radar, they will be much more cooperative with you.
Won’t consider others’ opinions
Problem
Think you know it all? Think again. You are responsible for the Product Backlog and prioritizing the work to deliver the highest value. But as a Product Owner, your voice isn’t the only one that matters. When a stakeholder offers you a competing opinion to your own, you can’t simply dismiss it.
Solution
When others offer their opinions, delay judgment, and consider the ideas. Let the idea sink in before you reject it wholesale; this requires being both humble and a good listener. While you make the decisions, you should do so while considering all ideas, not just your own.
Doesn’t act as the “Voice of the Customer”
Problem
Finally, the Product Owner represents the organization’s internal stakeholders and the users or customers of the product. If you lose touch with the reason your product exists and how it makes people’s lives better, you will end up building something that no one wants.
Solution
The Product Owner must embody the needs and desires of the customer, representing their collective voice. To do so, a Product Owner may use tools such as customer journeys, empathy maps, personas, focus groups, or any other technique that helps you to get as close to your users as possible. By doing this, you will authentically represent their voice and deliver a product they genuinely want.
Final Thoughts
A large part of being a Product Owner is about relationships with stakeholders. It’s critical that the Product Owner engage the stakeholders in a collaborative fashion. By doing so, you build trust with your stakeholders and a product that your whole organization can be proud of.
Now, it’s your turn. What problems have you run into with your stakeholders? Share your stories in the comments below!