Comments on: Project management tip: destroy any hope http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/06/01/project-management-tip-destroy-any-hope/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:42:11 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Chainsaw on a rope swing — The Endeavour http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/06/01/project-management-tip-destroy-any-hope/comment-page-1/#comment-85143 Chainsaw on a rope swing — The Endeavour Tue, 31 May 2011 13:04:48 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=2400#comment-85143 [...] Project management tip: destroy hope Manage your project portfolio ? [...] [...] Project management tip: destroy hope Manage your project portfolio ? [...]

]]> By: John http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/06/01/project-management-tip-destroy-any-hope/comment-page-1/#comment-18529 John Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:25:50 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=2400#comment-18529 Project Management Hut: Thanks for the comment and the link. I agree that clients often don't know what they want. They hardly ever do. That's why I like short development iterations and agile development. I take the "destroy any hope" comment as an exhortation to be as explicit as you can about requirements, stated both in the positive and in the negative, before you begin. You might tell a client "this will run on Windows" but they implicitly think that means it will run on a Mac too even though you didn't say that. Sometimes you have to say "The software will run on Windows XP and Vista. It will not run on earlier versions of Windows, and it will not run on Mac or Linux. We could add support for other platforms if you'd like, but then we would need to revise our proposal." Project Management Hut: Thanks for the comment and the link. I agree that clients often don’t know what they want. They hardly ever do. That’s why I like short development iterations and agile development.

I take the “destroy any hope” comment as an exhortation to be as explicit as you can about requirements, stated both in the positive and in the negative, before you begin. You might tell a client “this will run on Windows” but they implicitly think that means it will run on a Mac too even though you didn’t say that. Sometimes you have to say “The software will run on Windows XP and Vista. It will not run on earlier versions of Windows, and it will not run on Mac or Linux. We could add support for other platforms if you’d like, but then we would need to revise our proposal.”

]]> By: Project Management Hut http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/06/01/project-management-tip-destroy-any-hope/comment-page-1/#comment-18526 Project Management Hut Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:44:31 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=2400#comment-18526 I don't know how reasonable and how practical Hynds' opinions are. First of all, there are lots of the things that the client asks for that are subtly in the scope from the client's perspective, how can you deal with that? IMO, "Destroying any hope" is a Utopian thing, that doesn't apply in real life, there's always a give and take, especially in IT Projects, where the client isn't sure of what s/he wants in the first place, or doesn't know how to explain things properly. I have published an article covering this issue, <a href='http://www.pmhut.com/how-to-say-no' rel="nofollow">how to say no</a>, take a look! I don’t know how reasonable and how practical Hynds’ opinions are. First of all, there are lots of the things that the client asks for that are subtly in the scope from the client’s perspective, how can you deal with that?

IMO, “Destroying any hope” is a Utopian thing, that doesn’t apply in real life, there’s always a give and take, especially in IT Projects, where the client isn’t sure of what s/he wants in the first place, or doesn’t know how to explain things properly.

I have published an article covering this issue, how to say no, take a look!

]]> By: Lori Mathhead http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/06/01/project-management-tip-destroy-any-hope/comment-page-1/#comment-18480 Lori Mathhead Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:19:27 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=2400#comment-18480 John, excellent post. Telling the customer the good, the bad and the ugly fosters confidence in the service provider. Sell the customer a dream and they will wake up in a nightmare (e.g. Madoff scandal). John, excellent post. Telling the customer the good, the bad and the ugly fosters confidence in the service provider. Sell the customer a dream and they will wake up in a nightmare (e.g. Madoff scandal).

]]> By: Gene http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/06/01/project-management-tip-destroy-any-hope/comment-page-1/#comment-18472 Gene Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:00:14 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=2400#comment-18472 I would also remind Mr. Hynds: There is always someone out there willing to bid less and do a bang up job because their costs are lower than yours. I would also remind Mr. Hynds:

There is always someone out there willing to bid less and do a bang up job because their costs are lower than yours.

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