Transformed

CHAPTER 25Partnering with Stakeholders

We define a stakeholder here as someone not explicitly a member of a product team, yet who represents a key constituency, area of the business, or special expertise.

There is no denying that moving to the product model represents a big change for the business's stakeholders.

Some of the stakeholders are so frustrated with how things have worked in the past that they are desperate to try something new.

Some will feel they still have the responsibility to deliver for the business, but now without the control over the technology resources they once had.

Others will take a wait-and-see approach.

But in all cases, since in the old model the technology resources were there to serve their needs, and now those resources are there to serve end customers directly, they realize there's a significant change involved.

The product model is designed to have the product teams as collaborative partners with the stakeholders. Yes, they are no longer subservient to the stakeholders, but they do still depend on them.

In practice, this means building trust between the stakeholders and the product managers.

An empowered product team is designed to solve problems for your customers or your business, in ways that your customers love, yet work for your business.

Creating a solution that customers love is usually not that hard, assuming the product team has direct, unencumbered access to the users and customers, and the product data.

But creating a solution that ...