James BrookesAgile Project Manager| Cake Solutions ltdUnited Kingdom
I have found one of the toughest areas or being a PM, is both educating a PO on what their role is and how critical that role is to project success. Has any got any experience with managing this successfully? Saving Changes...
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Sorry James, but if I undestood well there is something incorrect in your statement. I will assume that you are talking about agile environements. There is not nothing different for a PMO than in other environements. First of all, agile is not a method, agile is not IT or software related only, agile is not a life cycle or process. Second, PMO has the same role than in other environments. I am leading my seventh initiative to implement agile and it is critical to undestand what agile really is to be successful.
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1 reply by James Brookes
Oct 04, 2016 5:23 AM
James Brookes
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Yes I am talking about an Agile environment. I understand Agile well and the role that the Product Owner (PO), however after an initial phase of excitement in the forming stage of the relationship, they often let their responsibilities slide as the project matures.
Saving Changes...
James BrookesAgile Project Manager| Cake Solutions ltdUnited Kingdom
Oct 04, 2016 5:17 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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Sorry James, but if I undestood well there is something incorrect in your statement. I will assume that you are talking about agile environements. There is not nothing different for a PMO than in other environements. First of all, agile is not a method, agile is not IT or software related only, agile is not a life cycle or process. Second, PMO has the same role than in other environments. I am leading my seventh initiative to implement agile and it is critical to undestand what agile really is to be successful.
Yes I am talking about an Agile environment. I understand Agile well and the role that the Product Owner (PO), however after an initial phase of excitement in the forming stage of the relationship, they often let their responsibilities slide as the project matures. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
You can implement agile in waterfall envidonments. And about agile,methods to have or not a product owner depende on the method you use. So, I,sustain my previous comment Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
And my intention was not to,say that you,do not understand agile.
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1 reply by James Brookes
Oct 04, 2016 8:05 AM
James Brookes
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Sorry I think you have misunderstood the question. On the projects in my experience we have a Product Owner from a client who helps create the backlog and then prioritises the product backlog, in the scrum fashion. However once they have done the initial work to create a backlog, I have found they step back from the project thinking their work done, as it would be in a waterfall project.
My question, perhaps it was poorly worded, was how to educate the product owner on the role and make sure they own the role throughout the project, not just at the beginning.
Saving Changes...
James BrookesAgile Project Manager| Cake Solutions ltdUnited Kingdom
Oct 04, 2016 6:54 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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And my intention was not to,say that you,do not understand agile.
Sorry I think you have misunderstood the question. On the projects in my experience we have a Product Owner from a client who helps create the backlog and then prioritises the product backlog, in the scrum fashion. However once they have done the initial work to create a backlog, I have found they step back from the project thinking their work done, as it would be in a waterfall project.
My question, perhaps it was poorly worded, was how to educate the product owner on the role and make sure they own the role throughout the project, not just at the beginning. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Now I understood. English is not my first language so be patient with me please. I faced this type of situations lot of times. I will write about my actual place of work because we are using SCRUM between others. I belong to the EPMO. One of our duties is to define the project life cycle. We have 5 defined with all needed to select it and run it. The interesting thing is that we have the issue you describe no matter the life cycle or method we use (for us, in the other life cycles, the name we give them is SME (subject matter expert) or Ambassador). What works for us is to use some techniques to demostrate to each stakeholder that she/he will be more rich with the solution than without it, where rich is not about money only. One of the techniques we use is "Solution Selling" or SPIN Selling. On the other side, other action that had great results for us, is to put a line inside the annual objectives definition for each person. I hate that, in fact I have the line in my file too, but I have been working in this type of environments from years. Saving Changes...
Tobe PhelpsDirector of Digital Experience| Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, Nm, United States
For us, we have the PO sign a contract to have their project Agile'd. That contract outlines their time commitment, purpose and integration into the team. It is always better to get that commitment up front.
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2 replies by James Brookes and James Furness
Oct 05, 2016 5:43 AM
James Brookes
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I like the idea!
Oct 06, 2016 4:27 AM
James Furness
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Makes sense. Do you find that many PO's object to this at the outset? Or have issues further down the line?
Saving Changes...
James BrookesAgile Project Manager| Cake Solutions ltdUnited Kingdom
Oct 04, 2016 1:54 PM
Replying to Tobe Phelps
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For us, we have the PO sign a contract to have their project Agile'd. That contract outlines their time commitment, purpose and integration into the team. It is always better to get that commitment up front.
I like the idea! Saving Changes...
James FurnessAssociate Director of Project Management| Disney Streaming ServicesCheadle Hulme, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Oct 04, 2016 1:54 PM
Replying to Tobe Phelps
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For us, we have the PO sign a contract to have their project Agile'd. That contract outlines their time commitment, purpose and integration into the team. It is always better to get that commitment up front.
Makes sense. Do you find that many PO's object to this at the outset? Or have issues further down the line? Saving Changes...
