Chris Garvey: A Great Collaboration Between PO and Scrum Master, The Enabler For Agile Greatness

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

The Great Product Owner: A Great Collaboration Between PO and Scrum Master, The Enabler For Agile Greatness

Chris reflects on a remarkable Product Owner who previously served as a Scrum Master. Their collaboration was marked by mutual support and a keen understanding of when to lead and when to step back. The Product Owner fostered team involvement in story definition and ownership of implementation. This environment allowed for reciprocal coaching, accountability, and a harmonious working dynamic. Chris emphasizes the delicate balance of knowing when to be present and when to provide space for others in Agile teams.

The Bad Product Owner: Overcoming PO Micromanagement Challenges

Chris discusses anti-patterns related to Product Owners (POs) who become excessively involved. He highlights a case where a PO, with a project management background, sought to micromanage and act as the team's coordinator, hindering self-organization. This approach stemmed from the PO's need to constantly be busy, akin to a helicopter parent. Chris also points out the danger of a PO viewing themselves as the team's savior, even attempting to assist with testing. This situation led Chris to adopt a protective stance, resulting in conflict with the PO. He identifies these behaviors as anti-patterns and acknowledges his own attachment to problem-solving in the process.

 

[IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate.

 

About Chris Garvey

Chris is passionate about people, and creating empowering spaces where people can thrive. He is a coach at heart having been a Life Coach before becoming an Agile Coach. For close to 10 years he has been working in the agile space as a Scrum Master, then Agile Coach, then trainer, and now as an Enterprise Agile Coach.

You can link with Chris Garvey on LinkedIn.