Introduction: What You’ll Learn
This simulation helps you navigate a situation where a stakeholder frequently changes requirements mid-sprint, disrupting the team's workflow. You'll learn how to address the issue diplomatically, maintain focus on sprint goals, and ensure alignment between the product and stakeholders.
You’ll practice:
- Addressing requirement changes promptly
- Communicating effectively with stakeholders
- Escalating issues when necessary to keep projects on track
- Balancing stakeholder demands with team capacity
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Identifying the Issue
Facilitator: "Hey team, I've noticed we've been getting quite a few changes from Laura about the user profile feature, and it’s starting to throw us off. Let’s chat about how this is affecting us and figure out a plan."
Developer (as a team member): "Yeah, she asked for a bunch of new fields yesterday that weren’t in our plan. We had to stop what we were doing to try and fit them in."
Facilitator: "Thanks for pointing that out. Constant changes can really mess with our flow. Let's see how we can tackle this without derailing our sprint."
Scene 2: Communicating with the Stakeholder
Facilitator: "I’ll set up a quick call with Laura to chat about how these changes are impacting us and see if we can find a better way to handle them."
(Later in a meeting with Laura.)
Facilitator: "Hi Laura, thanks for hopping on the call. We wanted to touch base because we've noticed a few changes to the user profile requirements recently. While we totally get the importance of user feedback, these changes are starting to impact our current sprint. Can we discuss how we can manage these more smoothly?"
Laura (Stakeholder): "Of course! I've been getting a lot of feedback from users, and I thought these changes were urgent."
Facilitator: "We appreciate that. How about we gather all the feedback and review it together before the next sprint starts? That way, we can plan more effectively without constant interruptions."
Laura: "That sounds like a good plan. I’ll compile everything and we can meet to discuss it before the next sprint planning."
Scene 3: Escalating When Necessary
Facilitator: "Thanks for understanding, Laura. If we keep running into this during the sprint, we might need to loop in the product manager to ensure we’re all aligned on priorities."
Laura: "Got it. I’m on board with this approach, and we’ll see how it goes."
Scene 4: Recap and Next Steps
Facilitator: "Alright team, I spoke with Laura. She’ll gather feedback and we’ll look at it before sprint planning from now on. If any changes come up mid-sprint, we’ll document them and discuss their impact. Let’s keep our focus on the current sprint goals."
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: The stakeholder insists on a change despite the impact.
- Best Response: “Let’s bring this up with the product manager to see how it fits with our current priorities.”
Challenge 2: The team feels demotivated by frequent changes.
- Best Response: “Let’s focus on what we can control, and I’ll make sure we communicate the impact clearly to the stakeholders.”
Challenge 3: The stakeholder is unresponsive to meeting requests.
- Best Response: “We’ll document our concerns and escalate to ensure we’re aligned with the product manager.”
Optional Curveball Mode
- A critical change contradicts previous agreements.
- A team member confronts the stakeholder directly out of frustration.
- The stakeholder is unavailable for immediate discussions.
Practice handling each curveball while maintaining professionalism and strategic focus.
Reflection Checklist
Stakeholder Communication
- Did I communicate the impact of changes clearly?
- Did I propose a constructive solution for alignment?
Issue Escalation
- Did I escalate appropriately when necessary?
- Did I maintain a focus on strategic alignment?
Team Morale
- Did I address team concerns effectively?
- Did I provide clear direction after stakeholder meetings?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failing to communicate the impact of changes
- Not involving the product manager when necessary
- Allowing changes to derail sprint goals without addressing
- Ignoring team morale and feedback