Requirements And Issues Definition. Ron Nichols, PMP IT Management and Strategy Consultant

Transcription

1 Requirements And Issues Definition Ron Nichols, PMP IT Management and Strategy Consultant May 20, 2008

2 Technology Group, LLC Mission Statement To assist organizations in delivering technology solutions to improve business profits. Technology is an Enabler

3 What s The Big Deal With Requirements According to the PMI 90% of all IT projects FAIL not on time over budget do not satisfy customer needs 80% of project failures are caused by poor requirements

4 Goals for Tonight Hermann Brain Dominance Indicator Where do you think from? How does that impact requirements and issue definition Requirements Insights Why are requirements so hard to correctly identify? What can you do to be better at requirements gathering? Issue definition Insights How do you identify the issue and not the symptom? Added benefits Self Awareness Communication Meeting facilitation Interpersonal communication Personal Life

5 SCOPE CREEP Fact? Fiction?

6 Scope Creep Fact or Fiction Fiction Project = Initial Requirements + Approved Change controls If requirements are not defined such that it is clear whether a customer request is in scope or necessitates a change control, the requirements are too ambiguous. Scope creep is ambiguity used to someone's advantage.

7 Introduction to Your Brain A person's brain, both conscious and subconscious, controls the perspective through which a person gives and receives communication, perceives and solves problems, and addresses tasks that are to be completed. More has been learned about the brain in the past 20 years than in the previous 20 centuries. New fields are being spawned that will uncover even more information. Neuro Behavioral Genetics

8 Amazing Facts - BRAIN Weighs about 3 LBS Contains 12 trillion neurons Each neuron can connect with 100,000 adjoining neurons to form a synapse. It would take 10.5 million miles of zeros to list the number of possible combinations. A synapse allows neurons to transmit data from one neuron to another neuron. About 10% of your brain is used for conscious thought

9 Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument Facts Logic Statistics Analysis Problem Solving Analyze Form Plans Rules Details Structure Organize Future Vision Risk Conceptual Free form Strategize Feelings Empathetic Expressive Sensory Interpersonal Personalize

10 Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument SKILLS STYLE Analysis, Evaluation, Qualification, Technical, Financial, Critical assessment Rational, Thorough, Precise, Logical, Authoritative CAN APPEAR Rigid, Ruthless, Cold, Calculating, Limited by need for proof SKILLS STYLE Innovation, Vision, Lateral thinking, Synthesis, Strategic thinking, Catalyst for change Exploring, Imaginative, Adventurous, Experimental CAN APPEAR Unfocused, Impulsive, Rash, Oblivious of deadlines, Vague, Given to tangents SKILLS STYLE Organization, Implementation, Accuracy, Administration, Operational planning, Practical tasks, Completion Careful, Methodical, Procedural, Reliable, Predictable, Disciplined, Detailed, Doer CAN APPEAR Nit picking, bossy, stuck in a rut, boring SKILLS STYLE Customer relations, teaching / training, communication, anticipating needs, team awareness Caring, friendly, sociable, empathetic, humanistic, emotional CAN APPEAR Over sensitive, Un-businesslike, Sentimental

11 Road blocks to requirements and issues Projects and issues are created from a business opportunity or from an existing problem. Problem solvers are usually the ones that gather requirements or define an issue A person tends to assume that everyone thinks the way they think Black holes exist in all of us

12 What s so hard about it? Characteristics needed Red (need cooperation, communication, empathy) Yellow (what and why) Green (have to produce a requirements document) It s always different There are no checklists! The customer does not always know what they need Human Nature We assume that everyone sees things from the same perspective that we do. We all have black holes We jump to how

13 So What's the Answer? Educate. Educate. Educate. Talking about the bottom line is a great attention getter. No matter what the opportunity or the problem being addressed, spending time to make sure the requirements are well defined saves money in the long run. Create two projects instead of one, or at least two deliverables Use the right parts of your brain when you gather requirements or define an issue. LEAVE BLUE OUT OF THE RAINBOW! Ask the questions. Shed light on the black holes. Investigate.

14 So What's the Answer? Be skeptical! Of yourself, of your customer, of the environment, of everything. Eliminate ambiguity. "How" should only be used with regard to the way a process works, NOT with regard to a solution. Answer the question, "How will IT and the customer agree that the project is done?

15 Requirements gathering & Issue definition in a nutshell Stay away from blue! Focus on what and why Avoid ambuiguity Avoid how Be skeptical Badger, badger, badger

16 Added benefits Self Awareness Which part of your brain do you usually think from? Can you overcome your own roadblocks? Define the requirements for each task you perform Communication meeting facilitation What do you want to accomplish during the meeting? What parts of the brain does the need to use to meet the meeting goals? Communication interpersonal Where are you thinking from? Where does the person you are communicating with think from? How can you span the gap? Personal life impact

17 Avoid Unnecessary Trouble People are like turtles, can t move any direction with their heads tucked in their shell. Use the colors to focus rather than personalize Let people put themselves into a corner

18 Requirements and Issues Definition Questions Ron Nichols, PMP IT Management and Strategy Consultant May 20, 2008