Collective Wisdom from the Experts 155
at the bottom of the priority list may not get done this release if delays are
encountered. These rules serve as an annoyance to the business owners, espe-
cially those who haven’t learned that ramming in features won’t work. Over
time, they get used to the process and come to accept it as a fact of project life.
Of course, the experienced PM expects that changes are going to happen dur-
ing the course of the project, and has built contingency time into the plan.
This contingency is held close to the vest, sometimes not being revealed to the
customer or even the team. It is managed like a precious resource, and only
features that survive the pushback battle get to eat into it.
When this does happen, the business owner is usually thankful that the PM
finally obliged him. In the final days of development, if contingency remains,
the PM might even opt to “open the reserves” and produce a few extra features.
Some business owners might question why they couldn’t have them earlier, but
in most cases they are happy to receive a few extra, unexpected things.
Now the PM stands at the end of the release. The team has delivered on what it
said it would. Sometimes it has provided extras. The business owner is happy,
the team is happy, and the PM’s reputation is intact. Let the end-of-release fes-
tivities begin.