I’d say about 33% of the time that a client requests help with a problem they ask about the wrong thing.
- They focus on the symptom instead of the root cause
- They ask about technology instead of process
- They ask about savings instead of employee satisfaction
- They ask about bottom line instead of top live
Once they have their mind set on the wrong question, fixing their focus can be a very difficult proposition but it is vital to project success. Understanding the outcomes desired is the only way to make a project successful and often when the project is incorrectly defined the desired outcomes will not actually be achieved by completing the project.
First things first in this situation is to help the client articulate their desired outcome. Do they want to save money (of a particular amount), improve service, grow the business, or something else? Once that is understood help them frame the project in terms of the desired outcome. Framing the project allows them to propose the change scoped (often times simplifying the work) themselves so that they don’t feel like a change order was given as step 1.
Sometimes this will kill the project entirely because it uncovers political roadblocks to true success – but this is also expectation setting. Sometimes projects need to be abandoned early so that alternatives can be put in place as soon as possible.
Hi,
The most common “wrong question” is asking about the technology instead of the process. Many clients won’t even consider undergoing a project with a company that won’t manage it with their technology of choice, which may or may not be the right technology for that particular project.
Thanks for sharing!
Reblogged this on K K Soft Systems !.