"Truth is a conversation about things that matter" -- Parker Palmer

I recently explored a reference to Parker Palmer's "To Know As We Are Known". I was interested to read that Parker, a renowned educator, defines truth as an "ongoing conversation about things that matter" and sees "education creating an environment in which truth is practiced". As i was reading i found myself thinking of Scrum and the anecdotes told by Ken Schwaber in the CSM course i attended.

As an example of scrum's honest approach ... yesterday i talked with my boss, ahead of an important meeting with the client, to review our sprint achievements to date and the work remaining. I pointed out that while we had achieved everything the client had prioritised for the sprints to date, given our velocity and the remaining story points and projecting forward it was clear that not all the stories would be completed before the client's budget emptied. The key question for my boss was "Would this be a surprise to the client?" My answer was "No". As i expected, the meeting with the client was very constructive. The visibility of progress and level of participation by the client throughout the project meant that, going into the meeting, the client already understood the status. Consequently, the meeting focused on reprioritising the product backlog to maximise ROI for the remaining budget, and on identifying remaining risks and obstacles and how to remove them. It's a pleasure to work with clients who recognise their role in and responsibility to the project.

It's just a shame how some people/companies still stick their heads in the sand and prefer to hear embellished half-truths that hide the facts. Don't give them what they want. I believe you must be honest from day one and, importantly, honesty _must_ be surrounded by visibility. Unfortunately, speaking from experience, honesty can sometimes put you in situations you'd rather not be in when dealing with 'head-in-sand' syndrome. But do not compromise on your values. I believe honesty is always the best policy and at the end of the day it's their loss and not yours.


Tags: agile

posted by Simon Baker @ permalink
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