Collective Wisdom from the Experts 105
Future misunderstandings, pitfalls, and errors in the decisions we make hap-
pen because the team is not constantly reminded of the real business problem
to be solved. The benefits that this project should bring to the organization
are not always at the forefront. To avoid this pitfall, the project manager needs
to crystallize the purpose, assumptions, constraints, and risks for the project.
Point #2. The technical and functional objective of the project must be clear
enough for all team members to grasp, including the project sponsor. The out-
comes have to be aligned with the strategic objectives of the business area that
eventually will become the owner of the system.
Point #3. The software project manager should identify what end-users expect.
How do they think this new application is going to help them in their day-to-day
work? The project manager must be clear on these benefits and expectations and
communicate them to the development team to get its buy-in. With that clarity,
he/she can move forward to convey the advantages accurately to the end-users
and help them form a realistic vision of the end software product.
With this detailed grasp of project purpose and benefit, on-the-fly decisions
become easier. And, as the software project manager really knows what the
users expect and what the system is intended to do, he/she is able to evaluate
change control submissions more effectively. This prevents misdirection or
tangents occurring during the project execution phase.
We as project managers should discipline ourselves to truly understand
both the technical project requirements and the business value the project is
intended to provide. With this knowledge, we will be prepared to create better
software results and manage uncertainty in a professional way throughout the
project life cycle.