5 Ways to Gather Valuable Product Feedback
Scrum Teams use feedback as a compass to improve and innovate their product. It is up to them on how to apply the feedback they are given. With so many different feedback gathering methods available, Scrum Teams need to decide which method(s) are appropriate to get them the most valuable feedback they need according to their context.
Here are some strategies your Scrum Team can use to gather that feedback.
Use a combination of qualitative and quantitative feedback
While quantitative feedback in the form of data can provide valuable metrics, qualitative feedback adds depth and context, offering nuanced insights into user experiences and preferences. Try using both types of feedback together.
Combining quantitative and qualitative product feedback leverages the strengths of each approach, ensuring limitations of each type are balanced by the strengths of the other. This allows Scrum Teams to get a deeper understanding of user needs and their desired outcomes while using data to trigger their ideas and validate their assumptions. Ultimately, this helps them make better-informed decisions to create products that satisfy its users and customers. For example, consider product data that shows an increase/ decrease of customer usage of certain features (quantitative feedback). The Scrum Team does not know what the reason is for this change. They can make some strong guesses, but if they want to be sure they should observe and talk to customers to find out more (qualitative feedback).
Facilitate multiple opportunities for feedback
The Sprint Review is a great opportunity for the Scrum Team to gather product feedback, however there are also many other opportunities and ways for them to get valuable feedback during the Sprint. For example, Scrum Teams can use information radiators that show various metrics and analytics that track the performance and usage of their product live, such as user engagement, conversion rates, or application performance. The team might also maintain channels for collecting feedback directly from customers or end-users, such as feedback forms, help desks, or customer support channels. Monitoring these channels allows teams to gather insights into user needs, pain points, and feature requests. Additionally, Scrum Team members might set time aside to observe and interview users and customers when interacting with a prototype to get early feedback. The Scrum Team should identify and experiment what methods for gathering valuable feedback work within their context.
Assess feedback
If the Scrum Team takes all the feedback they receive and treats every piece as a change for their product, they would most likely end up with an infinite Product Backlog and, even worse, a bloated product with features nobody wants. Scrum Teams must assess the feedback they receive. They should take a step back and explore aspects objectively such as:
- The source of the feedback giver - Are they a customer, a user, or internal stakeholder? Are they part of your product target audience?
- Patterns - Analyze if the feedback is consistent across multiple sources or instances. Patterns in feedback indicate common issues or strengths.
- The context in which the feedback is given - Is it relevant? Does it relate to your product?
- Potential impact of implementing the feedback - Will it lead to improvement or change? Is it feasible?
- Clarity. Seek clarification. If the feedback is unclear or ambiguous, don't hesitate to seek clarification from the person providing it. Asking questions can help in understanding the feedback better and identifying areas for improvement
- The motivation of the feedback giver - Understanding the motives of the feedback giver can reveal underlying biases or objectives that might influence the feedback..
Focus on customer and user feedback
Scrum Teams should proactively seek feedback from those who are buying and using their product. This could be people external to the organization, or internal if teams are building a product that is used by themselves or their colleagues within the organization. While feedback from other internal stakeholders who do not use the product is valuable for aligning with organizational goals, it should be balanced with insights from customers and actual users to enable the success and relevance of the product in the market.
Facilitate for honest feedback
Scrum Teams rely on people sharing their true opinions about the product, but there are times when they might not get honest feedback. These reasons can include:
- People conforming to the opinions of others rather than sharing their own true thoughts in a group setting
- A low trust environment exists, which causes people to believe that their feedback does not matter or they feel uncomfortable giving feedback in front of others
- Bias or self-interest - stakeholders have personal or professional interests that influence their feedback
- People wanting to please others and feeling pressure to give positive feedback to avoid disappointing the team or appearing overly critical
Addressing these barriers requires creating a culture of openness, trust, and receptivity to feedback. Facilitating for honest feedback in group settings includes encouraging diverse perspectives, giving everyone an equal opportunity to contribute and demonstrating positive responsiveness to feedback. Using diverging and converging facilitation techniques helps to surface diverse perspectives and gives people a chance to reflect at their own pace before identifying patterns as a group.
Conclusion
Gathering and understanding stakeholder feedback, especially customer and user needs, is essential for Scrum Teams to deliver a successful product. There are a variety of ways this can be accomplished. Scrum Teams should explore which methods work for them within their context and act on the feedback they think is valuable.
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