What is ‘Shared Understanding’?

 

Hello there, curious reader! You may have heard the term ‘shared understanding’ thrown around in the world of product development, but what does it actually mean? When it comes to product development, a team with a shared understanding is like a well-oiled machine.

Well, simply put, it’s all about making sure everyone on the team is on the same page. When a new task is added to the backlog, it’s important that everyone understands what it’s about before diving in. Sure, you might get the gist of it from a description or user story, but that might not be enough. And let’s face it, documentation can be a bit of a headache!

It’s not the same as having a good old-fashioned chat with someone. You might misunderstand something that’s written down and end up going in the wrong direction. So, how can we make sure everyone is on the same page? Let’s find out!

Here is an example:

Let’s say you are a product owner and you want to convey to your development team that you need a new feature added to the product. You write an email outlining the requirements and send it to the team. The email reads as follows:

Hey team,

We need to add a new feature to the product that allows users to search for products by color. The search results should display all products that match the selected color, and users should be able to refine the search results by other criteria as well. Let me know if you have any questions.

Now let’s imagine that you also communicate the same message verbally to the team during a meeting. You say:

“Hey team, we have been receiving feedback from users that they would to find products they want. Especially, they would love to search by color. So we need to add a new feature to the product that allows users to do this. We want the search results to be very comprehensive, displaying all products that match the selected color, and we also want users to be able to refine their search results by other criteria like size or price. Does this make sense? Do you have any questions or suggestions?”

Even though the message is the same, the verbal communication provides more context and explanation that the written email does not. The verbal communication allows the team to ask questions, clarify any doubts they may have, and get a better understanding of the requirements. On the other hand, the written email can be misinterpreted or misunderstood, leading to confusion and potential delays in the project.

Listen up, product people — Your development team won’t be able to do anything with a backlog item they can’t understand. So, if you’re not sure whether your item is as clear as day, don’t be shy — speak up. It’s always better to ask and make adjustments until everyone’s on the same page. Without a shared understanding, crucial information might slip through the cracks, bad choices might be made, and opportunities will be missed. This can be catastrophic when the stakes are high.

So, before you set your developers loose to code, take a moment to rethink and make sure that everyone’s in the loop.

How to create shared understanding?

Let’s make creating shared understanding a walk in the park! Here’s how:

• First things first, give your team the chance to read through the problem at hand. But don’t just leave them to it, make sure you sit down with them and talk through the solution you came up with.
• If you really want to make things solid, why not involve your tech gurus in the solution design process? After all, they’re the ones with the know-how to make it all happen.
• If there is a futuristic reason behind why you are doing this task now, the developers should know this. This way, their design and development can be done in such a way to cater to the near future. This in turn reduces any possible technical debt or rework.
• Create a loom video if one on one meetings are not possible. This is an interactive way of conveying your message and giving the team opportunities to ask questions.

In summary, the team having a shared understanding:

• Clears ambiguity by letting them ask questions and validate their understanding
• Grasp the why behind what they are asked to do.
• Helps them grasp the goal, formulate and validate the technical strategy

Shared understand is of value to you as a product owner too. It gives you the opportunity:

• To identify better solutions — it presents an opportunity to identify better solutions that could give you an edge in the market.
• Fill in the blanks and improve the solution
• Identify any blockers to successful completion of the task before development work commences
• Reduce waste!
• Cultivating shared understanding creates culture.