Strangers in a Strange Land…
Last night I invited Judy Iskovitz to present to the Software Product Management Meetup group. Judy led her workshop entitled “Strangers in a Strange Land – The Product Manager in an Agile Environment”. We had a great turn out to discuss how the product management organization should be structured as well as the additional challenges Product Managers face in an Agile environment.
We also got a lot of advice for Product Managers about to make the transition from waterfall to agile (such as one of the attendees- Laura). Here were the key takeaways:
Tell IT “why” not “how”. The biggest shift is moving from perfect, detailed requirements to user stories. A good user story takes out all ambiguity and guess work from the developers.
Pick a ticketing system and STICK TO IT. Keep in mind that the ticketing system is much more than a to-do list- it is also a means of communication. There are a lot of options out there, so take the time and evaluate which is the best fit for your team’s needs.
ALWAYS attend SCRUM Meetings. Never see this as optional for the PdM.
Keep an eye on long term strategy. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of managing implementation. Make sure to schedule a block of time for yourself where you can sit and focus on the big picture.
Build Relationships. Best way? Happy Hours! Take the time to grab a beer (or vodka) with your coworkers because good relationships are vital to good communication.
Time Management. Many Product Managers in Agile environments have more than one SCRUM team they are working with. In order to be available to them, business stakeholders, AND keep an eye on strategy you are going to need A+ time management skills.
Call the shots. Whether you have the “official” capacity to make final decisions or not, build up credibility with the team so that they trust you to do so. The best ways to do build credibility is to LISTEN (have BIG EARS) and use input from the team in your decision making. Then, don’t be afraid to admit when you were wrong.
Be Transparent. This also goes a long way in building credibility.
Have anything to add? Please do so in the comments below!