Sometimes, you can do everything exactly the way you planned and the way you promised, and still find yourself wondering how on earth you managed to fail. Such is life in the world of software development, where you can succeed in everything and still fall short of expectations.
We had a demonstration today for a preliminary (alpha) capability that was not intended to be flashy, but rather a functional presentation of a live system - not canned, phony or mocked up. We articulated 6 weeks ago what we would be able to deliver, and those objectives were accepted by the client. Our developers worked hard to meet these objectives, and met them well. For where we are in the development lifecycle, we are on track, on schedule, and under budget.
But perilous are the pitfalls of expectation management. For despite delivering exactly what we said we would, and what was agreed to, the client was severely dissatisfied with the product. Apparently, they were hoping for something more canned and more conceptual, even if less functional. Somehow, we failed to properly set and manage expectations.
Today, we'll live with the disappointment. Tomorrow, we'll put it aside and get back to work. Our plan and our approach are sound. Nevertheless, I'll have to take into account the need to repair the perception that was laid bare today.
My job is to ensure that our product meets requirements and delivers a needed capability. My job is also to make sure that the client is fully satisfied with the result. I'm not used to this kind of failure, and it doesn't sit well despite knowing I couldn't have done anything more to prevent it.
My approach to managing expectations usually equates to this: say what you are going to do, do it, and do it well. Do this, and the result should be positive. Apparently today, that approach was insufficient.
Ah well. Best thing to do is to go home, kiss my wife and hug my kids, and leave the disappointment at the office. We'll get back to work tomorrow.
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