In a recent conversation with product leadership coach Simonetta Batteiger, we examined how Agile and Scrum often fall short in serving the full scope of modern product management. Here’s a breakdown of the key insights:

𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆

Agile’s focus on rapid, incremental delivery can undermine strategic alignment. “It’s not just about how to ship fast; it’s about solving the right problems and aligning with business goals,” Simonetta emphasizes.

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿: 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Simonetta advocates moving beyond the limited Product Owner role to a model that prioritizes discovery, research, and stakeholder alignment. “If product managers are solely focused on churning out user stories, they miss a significant part of their role,” she asserts.

𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

We agreed that coupling authority with responsibility is essential for effective leadership. “You cannot hold product managers responsible for outcomes if they lack decision-making power,” Simonetta says. This alignment is crucial for avoiding frustration and boosting innovation.

𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴

Burnout rates among product managers range from 40-60%. Simonetta urges delegation of delivery tasks to free up time for strategic work. I’ve implemented this approach since 2004, which has significantly reduced the workload for product managers in my teams.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Simonetta calls for a shift to a product-oriented delivery model that not only supports rapid delivery but also empowers product managers to drive both customer and business value. “Agile must evolve to include strategic dimensions,” she notes.

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