The Pragmatic Project Manager

Product discovery is a critical part of the Agile development process, where teams seek to understand the needs and desires of their users and stakeholders, in order to create a product that provides value and solves real problems. It is the process of exploring, understanding, and defining a product’s features and functionality, and identifying the most effective way to deliver those features to users. In an Agile development process, product discovery is an ongoing activity that occurs throughout the development lifecycle, as teams continuously iterate on the product, gather feedback, and refine their understanding of user needs. By prioritizing product discovery, Agile teams are able to create products that are more user-focused, adaptable, and responsive to change. 

There are several anti-patterns in product discovery that can occur in an Agile development process. Addressing anti-patterns in product discovery requires a proactive approach that involves the entire Agile team. Here are some common anti-patterns and strategies for addressing them: 

The failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has brought attention to the dangers of fractional-reserve banking. Fractional reserve banking is a banking system in which banks are required to hold only a fraction of their deposits as reserves and can loan out the remaining funds. Similarly, a project management professional may only be able to deliver a fraction of what others are requesting from her because she has limited resources, such as time, budget, and personnel.

We often make promises to our friends, family, and colleagues, but we have a limited amount of capacity to fulfill them. This is similar to the fractional reserve principle, where we have reserves to cover only a fraction of our total commitments at any particular moment. If we receive too many requests at the same time, it can quickly overrun our capacity and lead to burnout.

Just as a bank needs to ensure it has enough reserves to meet withdrawal demands from its customers, a project management professional needs to ensure that there are enough resources to complete the project successfully. Just as a bank may run into trouble if it lends out too much of its reserves and can't meet customer demands, a project management professional may run into trouble if she overcommits resources and cannot deliver what was promised.

In both cases, there is a balancing act between maximizing resources and managing risk. In fractional reserve banking, banks aim to maximize profits while ensuring they have enough reserves to meet customer demands. In project management, professionals aim to maximize the project's outcome while ensuring they have enough resources to deliver on time and on budget.

How about the trust angle?

If depositors trust the bank, it is less likely that there will be a bank run. A bank run occurs when a large number of depositors withdraw their money from a bank at the same time because they are concerned that the bank may fail and they will not be able to access their funds. When depositors trust a bank, they believe that their money is safe and that the bank will be able to meet its obligations to them. This confidence reduces the likelihood of a bank run.

If stakeholders trust the project manager, it is less likely that they will request all at the same time or micromanage pushing for sub-par deliverables. In general, stakeholders are less likely to request changes or updates to a project if they have confidence in the project manager and believe that the project is progressing as planned.

However, it's important to note that stakeholder requests are often driven by a variety of factors, including changing business priorities, new information, and unforeseen events. Even if stakeholders trust the project manager, they may still request changes if they believe that it is necessary to achieve the project's goals or address new challenges.

Effective communication and stakeholder engagement are critical for project success. A project manager who is able to establish trust with stakeholders and maintain open lines of communication is better positioned to manage stakeholder requests and address concerns in a timely and effective manner.

Influence is a critical skill for project managers, but it can be difficult to change someone's perspective, especially when opinions are rooted in emotions and group affiliations rather than facts. As social creatures, humans have an instinctual need to belong and be accepted by others, and going against the community can be perceived as dangerous and lead to exclusion. As a project manager, it's important to recognize these dynamics and approach influence with empathy and understanding. 

That being said, here are three ideas to change someone’s belief system without alienating them:

1. Be kind first and right later. When you’re arguing with someone, remember that the goal is to connect, collaborate, and integrate them into our tribe, not to win. So be kind and listen to their perspective. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to look good and win the argument, but that won’t help you build relationships.
2. Remember that facts don’t change minds, but friendships do. When someone changes their beliefs, they’re changing their tribe. So, it’s crucial to give them a place to belong to and a community to be a part of. You can’t expect someone to change their mind if they’re afraid of losing their social ties.
3. Find common ground. Identify what you and the other person agree on and start there. By focusing on shared values, you can create a sense of commonality and make it easier to work towards a common goal.

Changing someone’s belief system isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. By being kind, building friendships, and finding common ground, you can create a safe and supportive environment that encourages mutual understanding and collaboration.