Low knowledge level and understanding on customer side
René MeevissenDirector of PM/PMO| PSI Automotive &Industry GmbHBerlin, Berlin, Germany
Hello dear PM colleagues,
I have a general topic: Imagine you have a customer, IT project, customer has low knowledge and experience on IT in general - how to map "real" business into sofware processes - as well as in specific topics like system architecture, performance issues, database, network topology etc.
Customer is used to demand without reflecting the benefit or value adding of his demands. Experience of suppliers is not consumed, actually refused.
As consultant I would sometimes like to say "dont do it, I even dont want to take the money for it."
As project manager I have to run the project succesfully.
I try hard to build up and maintain a personel level of understanding, because the technical topics are finally not the problem. The general attitude and behaviour of such customer destroys any motivation of all team members.
How do you motivate yourself in such uncooperative environment?
How do you manage over years, to keep the spirit alive in your team?
How much "understanding" you are willing to bring in and when the point in time comes, where you maybe even stop the project?
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
I got one more . If you are working with a Japanese customer and they either are having a difficulty in learning English or don't want to learn English to do business with you , you can learn Japanese and explain what you can do for them Saving Changes...