Roleplay Scenario
Scenario Overview
A recent project delivery took a hit due to miscommunication between the engineering and product teams, leading to a missed deadline and some tension. The aim is to address this constructively, understand each other’s perspectives, and set up a plan to avoid such issues in the future.
Roles & Setup
Role A – Lead Engineer (You)
You feel that the communication gaps from the product team led to unrealistic expectations and the project delay.
Your goal: Address the issue calmly, understand the product team's perspective, and propose improvements.
Role B – Product Manager
You believe the engineering team misunderstood the priorities, which contributed to the delays.
Your goal: Clarify the project priorities, understand engineering challenges, and find a constructive way forward.
Suggested Openers
Lead Engineer:
- “Hey, can we chat about the last project? I think we both noticed some communication hiccups.”
- “I wanted to touch base on the recent release. There might have been some crossed wires that we should clear up.”
Product Manager:
- “Sure thing, let’s break it down. I’m keen to understand where things went off track and how we can improve.”
- “Absolutely, I noticed some issues too. Let’s see how we can better sync up.”
Sample Roleplay in Action
Lead Engineer:
“Thanks for taking the time to chat. I wanted to discuss the last project. It seems like we had some miscommunication around priorities, which threw off our timeline.”
Product Manager:
“I appreciate you bringing this up. I agree, there were some misalignments. Can you tell me more about what wasn’t clear from your side?”
Lead Engineer:
“Sure. We thought the new feature development was the top priority, but it seems the bug fixes were more urgent. That wasn’t entirely clear from our discussions.”
Product Manager:
“Got it. I did mention the bugs, but maybe I didn’t stress their urgency enough. I'll make sure to be clearer next time.”
Lead Engineer:
“Thanks for understanding. Let’s set up a regular sync to review priorities so we're always on the same page.”
Product Manager:
“That sounds great. How about a weekly check-in? It could help us stay aligned and prevent these issues.”
Lead Engineer:
“I think that would really help. We should also encourage team members to speak up if they’re unclear about priorities.”
Product Manager:
“Absolutely. I’ll send out a quick summary of our chat today to both teams to keep everyone in the loop.”
Lead Engineer:
“Perfect. I’m glad we had this discussion. Let’s keep the lines open moving forward.”
Post-Scenario Tools
Curveball Mode (Optional)
Introduce one of these during the roleplay to test adaptability:
- The PM becomes defensive about their communication style.
- An unexpected project change arises during the conversation.
- An engineer brings up unrelated issues, adding complexity.
Reflection Checklist
As the Lead Engineer:
- Did you address the issue without pointing fingers?
- Did you listen actively to the product manager’s perspective?
- Did you propose practical steps for improvement?
As the Product Manager:
- Did you stay open to feedback without getting defensive?
- Did you seek to understand the engineering team’s challenges?
- Did you collaborate on a plan to enhance future communication?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Dwelling too much on past mistakes rather than future solutions.
- Letting the conversation become adversarial or defensive.
- Failing to agree on concrete actions to improve communication.
Pro Tip
Tackle these conversations with a spirit of collaboration and focus on shared goals. Aligning on how to move forward reinforces trust and strengthens team dynamics.