I recently explored a reference to Parker Palmer's "To Know As
We Are Known". I was interested to read that Parker, a renowned
educator, defines truth as an "ongoing conversation about things
that matter" and sees "education creating an environment in which
truth is practiced". As i was reading i found myself thinking of
Scrum and the anecdotes told by Ken Schwaber in the CSM course i
attended.
As an example of scrum's honest approach ... yesterday i talked
with my boss, ahead of an important meeting with the client, to
review our sprint achievements to date and the work remaining. I
pointed out that while we had achieved everything the client had
prioritised for the sprints to date, given our velocity and the
remaining story points and projecting forward it was clear that not
all the stories would be completed before the client's budget
emptied. The key question for my boss was "Would this be a surprise
to the client?" My answer was "No". As i expected, the meeting with
the client was very constructive. The visibility of progress and
level of participation by the client throughout the project meant
that, going into the meeting, the client already understood the
status. Consequently, the meeting focused on reprioritising the
product backlog to maximise ROI for the remaining budget, and on
identifying remaining risks and obstacles and how to remove them.
It's a pleasure to work with clients who recognise their role in
and responsibility to the project.
It's just a shame how some people/companies still stick their
heads in the sand and prefer to hear embellished half-truths that
hide the facts. Don't give them what they want. I believe you must
be honest from day one and, importantly, honesty
must be surrounded by visibility. Unfortunately, speaking
from experience, honesty can sometimes put you in situations you'd
rather not be in when dealing with 'head-in-sand' syndrome. But do
not compromise on your values. I believe honesty is always the best
policy and at the end of the day it's their loss and not yours.
Thursday, 20 October 2005
"Truth is a conversation about things that matter" -- Parker Palmer
Posted by Simon Baker - Permalink
