Slips. Misunderstood requirements. Unexpected issues with technology. Problems with subcontractors. Lack of resources. Firefighting in other projects. Illness of key people. Mistakes in schedules. Lack of buffers. Delayed deliveries.
Everyday life of company which pays the rent developing software. It would be quite easy but, unfortunately, there’s a customer on the other side. And, what a pity, you have to inform them about all those problems. There are plenty of strategies.
1. Wait till they found out themselves. You eliminate unpleasant part of saying in front of The Big Ugly Client you’ve screwed. You delay a moment when the shit hits the fan. Unfortunately the shit is already big enough to make you really dirty.
2. Sell them some lies. There’s a chance they’ll buy your crap and nothing serious would happen. There’s bigger chance they’ll reject your crap and you’ll have to admit what the truth is. There’s the biggest chance they’ll find out what you’re trying to do and go mad. No one likes to be cheated.
3. Tell them but first prepare them. Send signals that actually there’s a chance that something possibly could go not exactly like it was planned. Wait some time. Eventually tell them, what’s really going on. Theoretically you should minimize client anger that way. Practically customer is often deaf when it comes to figure out your suggestions and usually you just delay a bit the moment when you announce bad news.
4. Tell them the truth. We sometimes call this tactic getting a knuckle sandwich. A scenario is simple – you go, you tell what has to be told, you stay calm when the customer sheds a bucket of animal dung right on your head and then you collectively try to find the way out. Besides rather unpleasant part with dung this tactic is fairly successful because you “buy” as much time as possible to execute emergency plan.
Personally I prefer the last option. I’m no politic and I’m poor at all those business games full of suggestions and signals. Negotiation skills aren’t on the list of my strengths either. On the other hand I feel well in situations when cards lays on the table and everything is clear. Even if that means telling tough things and taking all consequences of that. Like my mentor used to say in that business you need either tough backbone or tough ass. I think I have a bit of both and know how to make use them.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Firstly, thanks for the great blog!
I agree with you that being up-front about problems as soon as they occur is the best way of keeping a customer on-side. One thing that I would add (and that I have personally found very powerful) is that you should serve up a solution (or range of options) along with the bad news. That way you are actually going to a customer with a solution rather than just a problem.
Thanks for a comment David. Sharing a set of options how problems can be resolved is a natural consequence to me after telling bad news. Unfortunately sometimes it is hard to show several different ways to solve the problem and not use “pray for the miracle”.
I agree, you should prepare yourself, before you go to on that kind of meetings and everything what can be helpful is essential because it calms down the customer and bring the substantial discussion back.
And yes, if you don’t want even to try to find the solution yourself, the customer won’t do the job for you either.