I have a confession to make.
I committed a stakeholder management offence.
The consequences have lasted four months.
And I still can’t access half my wardrobe. 😂
1. Requirements gathering: Excellent#
A few months ago, my partner and I moved back in with my parents to help support my dad as his health is declining.
Which meant we needed somewhere to store our belongings.
We’d both used storage units before, so we knew what we needed.
Something larger than a single-car garage.
We have quite a lot of stuff. We’re not particularly small people, and we wanted to be able to move around and access our belongings.
Not just fit everything in.
Actually get things back out.
Requirements discussed. Parameters agreed. Both key stakeholders aligned.
What could possibly go wrong?
2. Stakeholder consultation: Unexpected development#
My partner was working when I went to inspect the storage units.
So I went with my mum.
The woman at the facility showed us the different sizes.
Mum looked at the units.
Then at the prices.
Then at me.
And made a very compelling case for a smaller, cheaper unit.
Mum hadn’t used storage units before, but her cost considerations were extremely appealing.
And despite knowing better, I agreed.
We booked the smaller unit.
A new stakeholder had successfully influenced a major project decision.
Unfortunately, the other key stakeholder hadn’t been consulted.
3. Change control: Non-existent#
When I told my partner, she immediately knew I’d made a mistake.
It’s not going to be big enough.
And even if everything fitted, she pointed out, we’d never be able to access anything.
Which was one of the exact reasons we’d agreed on a larger unit in the first place.
But we had to move quickly, and the booking was already made.
So we proceeded.
Against the very reasonable advice of the stakeholder whose requirements had been discussed, agreed upon, and then completely disregarded by the project manager.
Who was me.
Excellent work. 😂
4. Project delivery: Technically successful#
Moving day arrived.
And somehow, we managed to fit everything into the storage unit.
Everything!
There was just one small problem.
We couldn’t move around inside it.
The walkway didn’t exist.
And accessing anything at the back would require a significant excavation project.
My partner looked at me.
I looked at my partner.
There was some eye-rolling.
No argument. No drama.
The storage unit was doing an excellent job of making her point for her.
5. Post-implementation review: Four months later#
Four months later, the unit is still packed.
The walkway still doesn’t exist.
And half my wardrobe remains inaccessible.
And while we were laughing about this whole situation, something rather important came up.
There’s a difference between finding a cheaper way to meet the agreed requirements and changing the requirements to make something cheaper.
We hadn’t found a more economical way to achieve what we wanted.
We’d simply bought less space.
And I’d known perfectly well why we needed more.
Mum wasn’t wrong to suggest a cheaper option. She was considering the cost with the information she had.
My partner wasn’t wrong to question it. She understood the practical requirements.
And I wasn’t wrong to consider an alternative.
I was wrong to change an agreed decision without consulting the person who would also have to live with the consequences.
It’s a mistake that’s remarkably easy to make in projects, too.
A cheaper option appears, everyone gets excited about the savings, and somewhere along the way an important requirement gets lost.
New information is a good reason to revisit an agreement.
It’s not permission to quietly replace it.
And four months later, I have a rather excellent reminder of that distinction.
The storage shed was within budget. Unfortunately, I can’t reach my clothes.
😂
Originally published on LinkedIn.