I am one of the biggest multi-taskers in the world. I thrive on being able to get lots of things accomplished in as little time as possible. I see it all around. People are on cell phones, surfing the net, eating a snack, all while trying to talk to an airline agent to get their flight changed. How much can one really pay attention to those tasks and what is getting lost in the translation? In this age of sound bites, trailing updates at the bottom of the TV screen, tweets, etc. we rarely focus on one activity. It crosses my mind all the time that this could be one of the reasons that requirements gathering is often a failure.
One of the key contributors to project failure is bad requirements. Why do you think that is? How hard could it be to write down what people say? While it has been a problem for many years, I wonder how much can be attributed to how much people actually focus on what people are saying to them. Is it getting worse now that technology is at our fingertips 24/7 and we are constantly distracted? Some of you may remember the days when you went to a meeting, no one could reach you unless they went to the conference room! Imagine that? Maybe I am just getting old!
As consultants to the investment management industry, we have to focus on the activity at hand, listen to our clients, and capture/replay their requirements to ensure understanding. It is a critical step in ensuring the success of the engagement. Here are four very basic techniques that we employ during our interview process.
- Remembering – The human mind is bad remembering details, especially for any length of time (except for 'Sheldon Cooper' of The Big Bang Theory sitcom!). Remembering details from prior conversations proves that attention was kept and will encourage the speaker to share more. It is OK to take brief notes to jog your memory.
- Questioning – You can demonstrate that you have been paying attention by asking relevant questions that help to clarify that the correct information has been received. This also reinforces that you have an interest in what the speaker is saying.
- Reflection – Repeat or paraphrase what the speaker has said to show comprehension. This reinforces the message of the speaker and demonstrates understanding.
- Summarization – Repeating a summary of what has been said back to the speaker is a technique used by the listener to repeat what has been said in their own words. It gives the speaker a chance to correct if necessary.
While there is much more to the requirements gathering process, you can start off on the right path to documenting solid requirements by employing these basic active listening techniques.
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