When you're up to your neck in Crocodiles

 

.......It’s hard to remember that the original objective was to drain the swamp

 

(yes that is me……….and yes they are real life massive Alligators……………and yes they really are about 5 feet away)

 

 

AKA: THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTATION (and the Law of Sufficiency)

 

FACT:   Selective memory, confirmation bias and revisionism are common human traits, and stakeholders, sponsors and project teams are no more immune to them than anyone else.


                    At the same time, documentation is often perceived as an unnecessary burden. The time and effort required to record information, validate details and maintain accurate artefacts can create significant drag on a project. As a result, there is a natural temptation to avoid writing things down, to skip over the need to capture key decisions and events, and simply press ahead. The mindset becomes one of “just get on with it,” (JFDI) supported by the assumption that everyone already knows what they are doing. In reality, and all too frequently, they do not.


FICTION:   In AGILE documentation is not needed and adds no value!

 

HUGE mistake!    It’s NOT AGILE – it’s incompetent.

 

FACT:       If you don’t write it down, it never happened!

 

This applies to:

▪           Contracts                       ▪           Proposals

▪           Requirements                ▪           Decisions

▪           Agreements                   ▪           Instructions

▪           Meetings                       ▪           Presentations

▪           Risks                             ▪           Issues

▪           Complaints                    ▪           Escalations

▪           Concerns                       ▪           Moans

▪           Acceptances                  ▪           Completions

▪           ANYTHING; and            ▪           EVERYTHING!!

 

Context, situation, culture are irrelevant, some of the most frequent phrases a PM will hear are “did I really say that?”, “I never agreed to that” or “that’s not what I asked for”.

 

MYTH:      Once written it’s cast in stone!


 FACT:      written information simply provides a clear reference point from which changes can be made.


The same applies to decisions. Although decisions should not be reversed lightly, they can be revisited when the assumptions, context or constraints on which they were based are recorded alongside them. When those underlying conditions change, reviewing and changing the decision becomes entirely reasonable with no loss of face. With evidence documenting the original rationale, updating the decision is far less contentious.


It is worth acknowledging that many people resist having things written down because written records create accountability. Despite the explanations and rationalisations often offered, this reluctance is frequently driven more by a desire to avoid scrutiny than by any genuine concern about maintaining agility.

 

SFW          How does this apply to draining the swamp?

 

If when the decision was made to send a man into the swamp armed with a pair of waders and shovel , a few key assumptions were also recorded.  Such as:

 

·          There no serious threats to life and limb in this swamp

·          There are no endangered species in the swamp

 

Additionally:  if there happened to be a risk register with the following:

 

RISK 1:                   TiaRT…. the operator may be attacked by wild-life

IMPACT:                 Serious injury or even death of the operators (leading to significant

                                fines and compensation claims)

Mitigation:             Use a boat and protective equipment.

 

RISK 2:                   TiaRT….there may be endangered species living in the swamp

IMPACT:                 Significant fines, protestors causing delays, cancellation of project

Mitigation:             Conduct an environmental study and relocate impacted species.

 

SO!! Had all this been written down, as soon as crocodiles were discovered work (as originally planned) would have stopped and the, pre-agreed, contingency plans kicked into action. Thus reducing the likely hood of being up to the neck in crocodiles with the boss screaming because the swamp isn't drained!!

 

 

THE LAW OF SUFFICIENCY!

 

To avoid these metaphorical crocodile‑infested waters, all that is required is sufficient documentation to support faltering or selective memories. Fortunately, the level of documentation needed is directly proportional to the size, impact and risk profile of the project.


If everything proceeds smoothly, the documentation may never be read again. But projects rarely follow a perfect path. Most of us are familiar with the six phases of a project:


      1. Unbounded enthusiasm                       (JFDI)
      2. Total disillusionment                           (What the F**, am I supposed to be doing?)
      3. Panic, hysteria and overtime                (it’s never going to work!)
      4. Frantic search for the guilty                 (It wasn’t me!)
      5. Punishment of the innocent                  (It was them! They did it!)
      6. Reward for the uninvolved                   (Bonus time …. Lovely Jubbly)


Phases four to six are entirely avoidable if a few key facts are recorded for posterity: who requested what, what was requested, why it was needed, when it was needed, who did what, when they did it, who said what, when they said it, what changed, why it changed and when. Hindsight is always perfect, but what truly matters is foresight: what people knew, saw and assumed at the moment they acted.


It is also worth remembering that failing to write something down does not mean it has not been written down elsewhere. When individuals attempt to rewrite history, they should not be surprised if an inconvenient record emerges to contradict them. See the Epstine Files!!



MORAL OF THE STORY 

 

20:20 hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it is foresight that matters i.e. what the people knew, saw and assumed at the point in time they acted.


When the “blamestorming” starts you’ll need a defence.  So, write down the important stuff, minute meetings and file it all in a safe place, you never know when you may need it.

 

Thank me later!!

 

 

 

FINAL WORD!         Version control your documents (i.e. time and date them) because documents, like decisions and history are not immune from being re-written too.

 

 

FINAL FINAL WORD!        The AGILE MANIFESTO SAYS:

 

     “we have come to value……… Working software over comprehensive documentation……..  That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

 

        Three points.

  1. The agile manifesto says COMPREHENSIVE documentation (not ANY documentation).
  2. The agile manifesto does place value on the items on the right – so does not mean or imply “do not write comprehensive documentation”
  3. Regardless of what the Agilistas may say just document enough to protect yourself and avoid awkward questions at the end.

 

 

 

If you want help, advice or guidance on setting up your project, PMO or project governance, please use the “contact me” page at www.

 

 

 

NOTES:

 

 

1.   Selective memory:  Remembering certain facts over others i.e. not representing the whole truth.

2.   Confirmation bias:  Selecting facts that support the argument being presented

3.   Revisionism:  re-writing of history to fit the current context.

4.   Implicit memory bias, explicit memory bias, and anxiety Michael W. Eysenck &Angela Byrne Pages 415-431 Published online: 07 Jan 2008

5.   ANIMAL FARM: A novel by G. Orwell, published 1945. It is a satire in fable form on revolutionary and post‐revolutionary Russia

6.   Project RISK PROFILE:  The risk CAUSED by the project i.e. risk/likelihood of the project’s outcome having the desired effect (or there being an unintended consequence)

 

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