I’m amazed how often users describe their needs in solution terms: “If it could just do it this way,” one user may say. Or “Just put a button here.” Or their first look at your latest release evokes the reaction, “That’s nice, but I would have preferred if you delivered that other feature we spoke about. I would use the application far more if you gave me that.”
We regularly come face to face with an array of market place perceptions and expectations that have arisen through a variety of sources: Site visits, requirements gathering, sales pitches, marketing material, emails, blog posts, telephone conversations. It could be that your mere presence ‘on site’ raises expectations of imminent action.
Uncovering user needs
Because they rely on your software to do their jobs well, users hang on every word that’s said and create their own ideas of ease of solution and timing. Users often perceive that you have no other work to do but solve their issues. Nothing raises users’ expectations more than, “Please write down all your issues and we’ll deal with them one-by-one.” Users will expect a quid pro quo for their time, and for them doing your job for you.
When managing agile product development professionals we should challenge them to see beyond user solutions to uncover users’ real needs. To do this they need to spend time getting as close to their users’ businesses as possible. In a very respectful way your people need to be frank and honest when confronting user issues. Remember too that customers have businesses to run; respect them by not allowing empty promises. Don’t allow committments to be made on behalf of the team to solutions and timing until you have negotiated with them. Respect your other business stakeholders by considering their expectations of return on your efforts as well.
When you interact with your users, do you hear user solutions, or user needs, in what they’re saying?
