Listen, listen, listen.
As the Product Owner, active listening skills are invaluable in order to move your team towards its goal. While your goal is moving the project along, it will also include supporting the team and helping them move through sprints efficiently. The more comfortable the team feels bringing issues to your attention, the faster they will get handled. Being an active listener can be broken down to make sure your team feels like you are listening to them.
This can mean using the proper body language (engaged, eye contact, and nonverbal cues), validation (telling your team you hear their frustrations), and paraphrasing (so that they know you understand what they’re really saying).
A well thought out communication plan can be the difference between a 1 month project and a 3 months overdue project. By putting in the time and effort beforehand to think critically about the framework, barriers, methods, and skills needed to be successful, you will save countless hours in the long run.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: