Why the 'Why' Matters—Product Owner Communication Lessons | Simina Fodor 6i1h3t

16/05/2025

Simina Fodor: Why the 'Why' Matters—Product Owner Communication Lessons Read the full Show...

Simina Fodor: Why the 'Why' Matters—Product Owner Communication Lessons Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
The Great Product Owner: Transparency and Customer Focus This exemplary Product Owner shaped Simina's entire view of product management and even inspired her to consider a future transition to that role. Despite not having a traditional product background (coming instead from ), this PO demonstrated exceptional openness to both giving and receiving . They consistently explained the logic behind decisions, sharing the "why" that motivated their priorities. What truly set them apart was bringing customer perspectives and use cases directly to the team, helping developers understand the features through the lens of personas and scenarios. The PO's transparency extended to their own professional journey, openly sharing how they grew into the role, which created an atmosphere of continuous learning and development.
The Bad Product Owner: The Ghost Commander This experienced Product Owner approached the role with a command-and-control mindset carried over from previous Project Management experience, believing that backlog grooming was "beneath them." Essentially a ghost to the team, they avoided retrospectives while issuing constantly shifting priorities with little explanation or logic. The PO would issue commands and demand immediate responses without considering consequences, creating a toxic environment that threatened to destroy team morale. Simina recommends coaching such Product Owners on agile mindset principles and seeking leadership when necessary to prevent team deterioration.
Self-reflection Question: How can you effectively bridge the gap between command-and-control Product Owners and teams seeking more transparency and collaboration?
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[Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Simina Fodor 
Simina is a career rebel with a ion for bold moves. From HR to Agile delivery, she's ditched the rulebook to inspire others to build careers that ignite ion. No apologies, no detours—just fearless pivots and real talk about creating work that truly fires you up.
You can link with Simina Fodor on LinkedIn.

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