Decisions Vs. Assumptions

April 17, 2008

Today I will be rather blunt. There is a misconception about decision-making that has plagued many companies and has contributed directly to the high failure rate (or perceived failure rate) of projects. This single point leaves us with an orientation that either directs us to success or leads us on a path to failure. Regarding project vision, goals, objectives, benefits, scope, requirements, usage, feature set and functionality, look and feel, navigation, data, relationships, CRUD, security, quality, strategy and anything else that is not plumbing…

“When IT makes decisions, they are really assumptions!”

Once we understand this point, we can really get down to setting direction and building relationships that help us (IT) drive value back through the business. Let’s look at this in more detail.

When IT makes decisions (about the project dimensions I mentioned above), it sets off a chain reaction and these are the results.

IT owns the project. This leads to the business becoming disconnected from the process. The value that the project could have brought to the company is not realized because that disconnection exists. At the end of the day, IT ends up holding the bag because when it comes to implementation, there is no ‘real’ sponsor. Oh, there may be someone who has that role, but their real power has been usurped; and not because IT used their power for evil. IT really wants to use their powers for good, we just try to save time. And that is the slippery slope!
IT ‘continues’ when they should ask. Maybe IT thinks they know the answer. It could be that the business doesn’t know and in trying to keep the project on time, IT steps up and answers. Or simply IT wants to move things along and skips this process all together and makes decisions. Either way, IT faces extreme pressures to keep timelines and costs under control. And its hard to see the long term impact of simply making decisions and “keeping things on track”.
IT ‘continues’ when they should validate or verify. Once a decision is made, it is tempting to keep that momentum. That decision was made and no one got hurt – nothing destructive happened…so why not keep going, after all it will keep us on track and that’s what the bosses like to hear. Well, when IT makes decisions they must be validated or verified by their customer. Have you ever went in to buy shoes and they simply put a pair in the box after you explained what you were looking for? Most likely not – we need to look at it, touch it, try it on, feel how it performs, compare to other shoes and see how they bring value to you as a person.
IT makes a lot of progress and most of it potentially in the wrong direction. Often times in my career I have managed what I think of as a thoroughbred. This is someone who explodes at the beginning of the project, excels throughout the middle game and ends with a sprint. They high performers are worth their weight in gold. But there is a cost. That cost comes in the form of … “Yes, you are going 120 MPH but you are headed in the wrong direction!” I have spoken those words more than once, that’s for sure. IT must ensure that we are delivering the right things, not just right away. IT must strive for strategic value over making everyone happy. IT must validate the ASSUMPTIONS (formerly known as decisions) at well disciplined and scheduled times.
Project scope creeps. Trying to become all things to all people, IT has lead the application to a place where it actually meets no ones needs. It’s so broad that it’s too shallow to use. It’s like having a map of Ohio in actual size!
Costs get out of control. Its like a nuclear bomb, you know its there and no one speaks about it for a long time. The costs keep growing and then one day…all life ceases.
The project is late. But then it becomes very late, then its renamed but then its late again and so on. When IT can bring those decisions back to the customer the IT is holding a laser and can really make an impact. Alignment and focus on value leads to success.
The business looses trust in IT. This is where everyone looses. The company does not receive the value that they need to compete. They loose competitive edge and have to rely on their existing momentum to take them places. The business receives pressure to perform. They are hesitant to team up with IT and put their futures in the hands of a group that doesn’t deliver. The business must make progress so they take on some projects; this leads to animosity between the groups and contributes to a further disconnection. Eventually, the business ends up with a shadow IT group. This leads to a degradation of standards which impacts quality throughout the organization. And so on…

I am just scratching the surface here. But the point is that IT makes assumptions and until they are validated by the customer (or the business) then they must remain just that… Assumptions. Its ok to make assumptions, but you can’t just leave them all over the place. Once they are made, there must be a process to convert them to decisions! This is done on many levels; from a simple phone call (and the supporting documentation appropriate to the need) to a full enterprise level governance effort where members from every line of business/functional group are represented (with a sponsor, formal charters, and a framework for interfacing with the other groups within the company).

Lastly, here is what I am not saying. I am not saying that the customer (or the business) lead the development project. What do they know about building applications? Chances are they can not manage a project. I am sure they don’t have much visibility in to the infrastructure (data, information, application, network/hardware…) and the strategies going forward. I am not even saying that IT makes the wrong decisions – often times they are technically right, after all, we are the technical folks, right? But how does that align strategy with value? How do we ensure that our customers are successful? … By becoming a partner (but this is another blog)! When we reach this level, communication is a two-way street. We are responsible at the fiduciary level for making assumptions and then converting them to real decisions!

Make the decision today to convert your group’s assumptions to real decisions! This is a principle that must be built within each team’s DNA. The easiest way to get there from here is to lead by example.

~ Scott Felten

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