Are Business from Mars and Technology from Venus?

Have you ever sat in a meeting room and wondered to yourself, where did it all go so wrong? Missing flows, incorrect layout or just the wrong features being created by technology counterpart. Moreover, the user has given the requirements in detailed documents and spreadsheets.

Or perhaps you were on the other side on the fence. Constantly changing requirements, user unaware of what they truly want or built in assumptions as though everyone is a mind reader!

At times, doesn't it seems as though the users comes from Mars while the technology team comes from Venus. Truth be told, both sides have their points. Below are some pointers I found particularly useful:

Point 1: End Goal

What do I mean by this? Every user requirement comes with a end goal. It can be as simple as a webpage or as complicated as a new straight through process. When you boil down to it, there is a end goal for each requirement. Also, if you drill down to it, then you probably realized by now what I listed above are not end goals but simply solutions.

Let's go deeper. The end goal of a webpage is to provide information. The end goal of a new straight through process is to save time. Hence the next time you gather business to explain their requirements , try asking them this: "What is the end goal you are trying to achieve with this requirement"

Though at times, the users may also not know their true end goal. And that is completely fine. The idea here is to let the team figure out what business wish to achieve through their proposed feature/requirement. Once the team is able to understand this, both parties can work together in scoring that end goal (pun intended)

In my humble opinion, an end goal well known is an open goal, waiting to be scored. So the next time, you have the two planets in a room, try to seek out the end goal.

Not only do you seek it out, make sure everyone in the room understand it, feel it and can explain it to anyone outside the room.

Point 2: Assumptions, Assumptions, Assumptions

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. I would like to add a third one, Assumptions.

Everyone has them and yet not everyone knows they do.

Let's try this out, A doctor and a nurse lives in the exact same building same level, and works in the exact hospital. They both left for work at the exact same timing.The only difference is, the doctor drove to work, while the nurse took a bus. (Not withstanding traffic incidents and jams)

My question to you is, Why did she reach the hospital first? (See answer at end of article)

So now, how do we seek out these assumptions and allow everyone to tackle them head-on. One simple trick I learnt is to follow the adage, "A picture speaks a thousand words.”

This comes in handy, especially when you are designing applications layout or process flows. Simply ask the users to draw out on a whiteboard what they wish to envision the layout/process flow to be and allow the technology team to either:

A. Agree on the layout/layout or

B. Point out missing flows or suggest improvements

This achieves two objectives:

Number 1: You create shared understanding because everyone is seeing the same screen flow and picture on the whiteboard. There are no second guessing or built in assumptions.

Number 2: You create the conditions/environment for business and technology to discuss on solutions together.

The next time you plan a discussion between Martians and Venusians, make sure you have a whiteboard and markers around in the room.

[Trust me, that 30 minute discussion over a drawing will save you hours and hours of rework.]

Point 3: The Summit

If you have managed to achieve the two pointers above, well done! You have been a great host to our business users from Mars and technology team from Venus. The last pointer and the most crucial one, is to now, bring them together as a TEAM.

Achieve this by ensuring both the tech team understand the users purpose and users sees the benefits of open communications.

Let's be clear, no technology teams are creating inadequate requirements on purpose, and likewise no users are deliberately changing their requirements.

A good first step is for users/product owners to share with the technology team what they have achieved together. Share how much time and money has been saved because the team built a straight through process. Share how many customers have been acquired thanks to the improved customer experience on the new webpage. Likewise, technology can recommend improvements to user requirements or guidance on better systems to adopt.

Summary:

Going back to the article question, "Does Business comes from Mars and Technology comes from Venus?" I would say “Yes, of course!” And that is exactly where their strengths lies. Their difference is what makes the TEAM excel. So yes, they do come from different backgrounds, but it is how we bring them together as a TEAM that matters.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section. Would love to hear your thoughts on it!

(P.S. The answer is simply because she drove.) 

(P.S. If you are still wondering, it is because our doctor is a lady. :p)