What are the top 5 skills you need as a Product Owner?
The Product Owner’s Role
The Product Owner is the key person in any project and helps in delivering solutions. They serve as a liaison between the business and the development team. They carry the product vision and what needs to be developed in addition to managing user feedback. All the projects that have great Product Owners succeed because the team has a goal and vision. Without fail, all the projects with no Product Owner, multiple Product Owners or “bad” Product Owners do not go smoothly and result in delays. It is one of the main reasons why projects fail. Through my experience, I would like to share the 5 skills that every good Product Owner should have and develop.
1. Communication Skills
Communication across all team members is the most important skill for any project to be successful. The team has to be transparent and work together to achieve a common goal. It is important for everyone within the team to be open and effectively communicate. It is particularly critical for the Product Owner to possess good communication skills that can adapt to different teams and personality types. The Product Owner needs to work with the business to understand their vision and the development team to bring it to reality. If they are not communicating effectively, things can go awry very fast.
2. Commitment
The Product Owner should be committed to the project, vision, team and the business. They need to be at all meetings and work with all team members. It is important for them to collaborate with everyone. Furthermore, the Product Owner must take ownership of the process and be committed to the project’s success.