An organization starts working in an agile manner and then needs product owners. These are often chosen from among the former project managers or team leaders. It stands to reason that this career change presents special challenges. In this podcast episode, product workers Dominique Winter and Tim Klein discuss the transition from old to new responsibility.
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Old behaviors in a new role: Transparency helps with change
During the conversation it quickly becomes clear that there are some behaviors that are helpful for project managers, but also others that cause difficulties as a product owner. Project managers are often focused on delivery, with output taking precedence over outcome. Assigning tasks directly to other people may also benefit project managers, but it does not work well in an agile context.
The same applies to team leaders. As product owners, the tasks of personnel development and procurement are eliminated, which does not make change easy.
Transparency can be particularly helpful for a successful transition. This not only means collaboration with the team and stakeholders, but also personal reflection. Previous role models must be consciously reinterpreted. The team provides feedback, especially during the retrospective. Scrum Masters can also be helpful because they play a prominent role. An agile transformation without a Scrum Master, especially for project managers or team leaders, is difficult but still possible.
Related Links
These podcast episodes are referenced in the conversation:
The two interviewees also mentioned the following sources:
The current edition of the podcast is also available in the Produktwerker blog: “From Project Manager / Team Leader to Product Owner”.
(May)
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