Agile fundamentals for teams

Hello, I’m a Product Manager for a digital service team. My role is all about maximizing the value of the product we deliver. Today, I’m going to take you through a typical day. I'll show you what I do, and how I collaborate with others. My aim is to make sure we’re delivering the right outcomes for our users.

My day often starts with reviewing the product backlog. The backlog is a prioritised list of what the team will work on. My job here is to ensure the most valuable items are at the top of the list. This is so it reflects the needs of our users and the goals of the organisation. To do this, I must make tough decisions. I’ll adjust our priorities based on feedback, changes in policy, or insights from data.

I also often meet with stakeholders. This can include senior leadership, service users, or representatives from other departments. Here, I describe our vision, gather feedback, and ensure everyone’s aligned. Part of this is often managing expectations. This is particularly important when timelines or scope changes. I'll use the insights we've gathered to explain the need for the changes. Building trust and clarity is key.

I spend a lot of time with our product team. I'll work with developers, designers, and user researchers. We discuss what we need to do. It's also a chance to clarify any questions about user stories. This is to ensure everyone understands the 'why' behind each feature. Together, we make sure we’re building solutions that solve problems for our users.

My role is all about balancing needs. That includes the needs of users, the team, and the organisation. I collaborate with our Delivery Manager to make sure the team has what they need to succeed. I'm also focusing on long-term goals and plot the steps along the way to get there. This is by the releases that we've defined on our product roadmap. Every day is different, but it’s always focused on creating a service that makes a difference.