Setting Expectations
3 Jun 2005 / The Programmer
A family member had surgery recently and had to sign a consent form:
I have been advised that all surgery involves general risks, including but not limited to bleeding, infection, nerve or tissue damage and rarely, cardiac arrest, death or other serious bodily injury. I acknowledge that no guarantees or assurances have been made as to the results that may be obtained.
And so on . . . Don’t say you weren’t warned!
Medical professionals are very good at setting realistic expectations with the customer. Software professionals are not. We take customers into projects with glib assurances and wishful thinking.
If you work in corporate IT, as I do, your project risks don’t include death or bodily injury, but how may times have you heard a project manager say to a customer even something as simple as this:
This project — like all projects — has a number of possible outcomes, and not all of them are good. Let’s go over some of the more likely scenarios . . .
I don’t know if I’ve ever heard it, other than when I was saying it myself.
I’ve never seen a really good explanation for this . . .
Thus spoke The Programmer.
