The ‘7 habits of highly effective people‘ is a classic. It is a highly recommended book for everyone.
The second habit in the book is ‘Begin with the end in mind‘. This habit is effective for all aspects of our life. Take time to read more about it in your own time.
As a Project Sponsor, you will work with a very different mindset when you apply this habit. You will start to appreciate and develop clarity on the end goal. So, your goal is to develop a product/solution that addresses the given business problems within set constraints (time, budget, quality). So, the habit helps you to stop thinking of yourself as a sponsor. Instead, you think like the owner of the product (The product/solution that will be the project’s outcome).
With clarity on the end goal, you will be able to paint a vivid picture of the future. When the Project Sponsor adopt a Product Owner mindset, they are in a very different game!
Maybe the starting point is to ask yourself:
- How will the outcome of the project affect the business?
- Who will be affected by the project, how and why?
- Where will be a significant change?
- How can I support the business to transition to the new stage and support the product adoption?
- What do I need to do to develop, promote, support, maintain and enhance the product?
NOTE: The Product Owner is ultimately accountable for the product’s success. Please do not confuse it with the Scrum Product Owner role.
