Users can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

Projects can be viewed as a social network where users and developers must work together to share knowledge, ideas, and information. The CHAOS studies suggest that user involvement is one of the leading factors for project success, while lack of user involvement is a leading factor for project failure. Therefore, it is critical to correctly identify the appropriate user or user group because the right users will provide vital information and feedback.

Conversely, the wrong users can lead the developers down the wrong path by not specifying requirements accurately or completely. It is important to develop a good rapport and relationship with the user and user groups so that they feel involved and understand their roles and responsibilities as members of the project team.

Good communication and feedback can also help achieve consensus and harmony regarding the project’s direction even though projects can be more of an autocracy than a democracy. Projects sometimes need someone to play the role of an evangelist who believes strongly in the goal or value of the project and can help to gain the support of the rest of the user community and upper management. 1. What are some key factors or characteristics you should consider when attempting to identify the correct user or user group to be part of a project team? 2. What are some potential conflicts between users and developers? As a project manager, what steps could you take to minimize or avoid these conflicts to ensure that the user or user group is involved?

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