2.2.2. Let’s start with the WHAT

Every team needs some form of orientation regarding the content of their work and associated goals. This Accountability of providing the overall guidance for the team regarding where they need to go usually falls to someone called a Product Owner. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value that the team delivers. But how does one do that? To start at the beginning, a Product Owner should communicate a clear goal to the team. This of course means that he/she needs a good understanding of the wants and needs of customers/clients and other stakeholders to be able to prioritize accordingly. In simple terms: the Product Owner is accountable for making sure the team goes in the right direction. Virtually any Agile framework has a function like this, although it is not always named Product Owner.

In a team where there are different subject-matter experts (e.g. a tax attorney, a corporate attorney and a contract specialist for a due diligence), the Product Owner does not need to be specialized in all the skills needed. It is their job to prioritise the tasks, to get the most value for the client/customer, and, if needed, defer to the experts on the team for technical (or legal) questions.

As attorneys, we don’t generally see ourselves as producers of a “product”, and even though this has become more of a topic with the emergence of new law firm business models, don’t let the term deter you. Think of the “product” as the service, the work product, and outcome you want to deliver to your client.