In an agile environment, the customer is encouraged to provide feedback on a regular basis and to do so frequently. This feedback loop ensures that there are no surprises further down the road (for example, when the product goes live). In this article, I will discuss ways a PM can overcome challenges created when customer feedback is received later than preferred.  

Ideally, customer feedback is provided early during the product lifecycle (for example, when a feature is still being designed or is in the early stages of development). In reality, this is not always the case. In some cases, there may be small tweaks needed which can be absorbed without impact to committed timelines. In other cases, there may be changes which affect entire flows of the application, or there may be so many tweaks needed that it introduces risk to the delivery schedule. In the latter case, the question of whether or not the changes can be delivered in a fast follow release should always be considered. But what if they are critical changes to the customer and become release blockers? Here’s where it gets interesting (and perhaps fun for someone that thrives when faced with challenges) …

In this scenario, a tradeoff can be made (reducing scope elsewhere and absorbing the changes). If this is not a viable option, then adjusting priorities elsewhere and pivoting resources can sometimes help. However, the risk of this approach is that other deliverables can be impacted. 

As a PM, it is important to be adaptable and to think outside the box. Thinking about a challenge in terms of impacts and identifying options for mitigating these impacts is helpful. Getting the job done often means rolling up your sleeves and doing it yourself. 

A successful product delivery involves dealing with anything that may come up, from testing to dealing with changes in internal processes or even regulatory requirements. Having a can-do, positive attitude and persistence in the face of challenges is the most important skill that a PM has in their toolbox!