Have you ever felt like you're stuck in a time warp, where your company claims to be "agile" but still clings to old-school deadline pressures?
Let's dive into this all-too-common conundrum and explore how we can walk the agile talk with a real example.
Let me know if you can relate to this.
Imagine You're a senior developer at XYZ Inc., a company that proudly touts its agile methodology on every job listing and company presentation.
Sounds great, right? Well, Let’s not jump to a conclusion this fast.
Meet Riva, a brilliant product manager who's been tasked with developing a groundbreaking AI-powered customer service chatbot. She's excited about the project's potential to revolutionise user experience knowing there is a sharp rise in the AI buzzword.
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However, her enthusiasm quickly deflates when she hears these dreaded words from upper management:
"We need this live by the end of the quarter. No exceptions.“
The surprising part was nobody cared to check with the product /engineering team if that was feasible, the deadline was already agreed upon by upper management and pushed down.
When Innovation Meets Impatience
Riva's team knows that creating a truly helpful AI chatbot takes time. It's not like ordering a pizza – you can't just slap some pepperoni on it and call it a day. The team knew building such a chatbot would require time for research, testing, and further refinements.
Everyone in the team knew this would be a complex process to go through and would require incremental releases.
But now they're staring down the barrel of an arbitrary deadline that threatens to turn their AI dream into a glorified "Hello World" program.
Sound familiar? It's the classic showdown between agile dreams and old-school deadline schemes. It's like trying to paint the Mona Lisa with a timer ticking in your ear. Not exactly a recipe for success.
Every company I’ve worked for has faced this same challenge. The product manager or project manager is always stressed out over these crazy deadlines. Don’t get me wrong, though—some companies actually do a good job of balancing things and being flexible with deadlines.
So, how do we bridge this gap?
Enter the Voice of Reason (and Realistic Deadlines)
But wait! What if there was a better way? Spoiler alert: there is!
Let's rewind and give Riva a do-over. This time, she's armed with
a secret weapon: the power of realistic deadlines and risk reassessment.
Ooh, fancy!
Trust to be told some companies do have realistic deadlines, but the company or leadership team needs to understand regularly reassessing risk is also required. Most of the time the latter is forgotten.
After setting realistic deadlines with management, one has to take responsibility for regularly visiting Risks associated with the plan.
So let's give Riva's story another spin, but this time we're keeping it real and down-to-earth:
So, Riva's not messing around this time. She walks into that meeting room like she owns the place, ready to set the stage and lay down some ground rules. She's all about keeping an open mind and rolling with the punches, you know?
But here's the kicker - instead of just nodding along like a bobblehead to those crazy deadlines, Riva's got her shit together. She's armed to the teeth with data, charts, and a timeline that doesn't require time travel to achieve. She sits down with the bigwigs and lays it all out.
Riva's not sugarcoating anything. She breaks it down for the suits - this AI chatbot ain't no walk in the park. She's talking about complexity, risks, and how to dodge those bullets. Plus, she's got the lowdown on what resources they've got and what else is on their plate.
Riva makes it crystal clear that this stuff takes time.
"Look," she says, wielding her PowerPoint like a boss, "we can rush and give you a chatbot that'll annoy more customers than it helps, or we can do this right. Here's how."
And you know what? They listen.
The Key is having clear and transparent communication and creating win-win situation.
Agile Adventure: Flexibility, Communication, and Chatbot Glory
Over the next few months, Riva and her team work their magic. They hit snags, but instead of panicking, they adapt. They keep the higher-ups in the loop, manage expectations, and focus on delivering value.
They constantly update higher-ups every 2 weeks, with current status, progress, risk identified, severity and plans ahead of how to achieve the targets.
The result? A chatbot that doesn't just work – it wows. Customers love it, the team is proud of it, and not a single developer had to sacrifice their firstborn to the deadline gods.
The Moral of the Story: Being Agile Isn't Just About Sprints and Scrums
So, what can we learn from Riva’s excellent adventure?
- Agile isn't just a buzzword to throw around at parties. AGILE is a mindset that values flexibility, communication, and delivering something useful.
- Setting realistic deadlines and regularly checking in on risks isn't just feel-good fluff – it's your ticket to the innovation station.
- By embracing this approach, you're not just building better products – you're creating a workplace where people want to be. Shocking, I know.
Next time someone tries to slap a random deadline on your project, channel your inner Riva.
Stand up for realistic timelines, embrace the power of adaptation, and watch your team transform from stressed-out code monkeys to agile innovation ninjas.
Remember, folks: in the wild world of tech, it's not about how fast you can sprint to an arbitrary finish line. It's about how well you can surf the waves of change and still deliver something awesome.
So, the next time you hear "We need this done by..." without any consideration for the work involved, challenge that thinking.
Advocate for a more agile approach that balances the need for progress with the reality of complex, innovative work. Your team (and your product) will thank you for it.
Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day – and neither was any game-changing software. Give your projects the time and flexibility they deserve, and watch the magic happen.
Now go forth, be agile, and may your chatbots be ever in your favour!
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