97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know

Chapter 32. Keep Your Perspective

PMP. James Graham

WHEN GATHERING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FROM USERS, it is common to hear "the system is slow," "the application is unreliable and crashes," "it does everything we don't need and nothing we do need," "the menu structure is cumbersome," and "it takes too many keystrokes to do a simple task."

Most software project managers empathize with users. We try to make them feel better by suggesting solutions that will appear to remove their pain. I believe that this approach, while well intended, is intrinsically wrong. Further, it reduces the probability of a successful outcome in the subsequent project.

Some people say that the point of gathering business requirements is to provide a custom-designed solution, which in turn reduces end-user frustration. I would agree that this is a worthy goal. However, a fatal flaw occurs if the project manager who decides the best solution bases his decision on a heartfelt desire to make the users feel better. In reality, project managers may not have trained themselves to keep an unbiased perspective.

Perspective means looking for the best solution, not the fix that feels right to the users. Remember, users have a deep understanding of their business area and can make impressive contributions to a project by sharing that knowledge. But how should we use their input?

When I worked as a management consultant in London, ...