XP Values: Honesty

December 17, 2007 by jeremy

"Honesty is the best policy — when there is money in it."
- Mark Twain

XP requires constant communication between team members. More specifically, XP and Agile teams depend on honest communication between stakeholders, including developers, testers, managers, and customers.

We expect manufacturers and vendors to be honest to us about the products and services they offer and market to us. Our customers expect the same. Honesty is especially crucial during iterative development where a minor course correction early in the schedule can save significant time down the road.

• If our customers aren't honest about what they need vs. what they want, we won't build something of value.
• If developers don't provide honest estimates (to the best of their ability), management can't accurately plan the release, budget, or allocate resources.
• If developers aren't honest about what they've built, testers will waste time testing features that are incomplete or frequently changing.
• If testers aren't honest about quality, the customers will not have confidence in the product.

Why we lie.

We're tempted to lie (or just bend the truth) for a variety of reasons. We want to make ourselves look better/smarter/faster. We don't want to let the team down. We want to get something for free.

We don't think, or we hope, that no one will notice. Sometimes no one will. Sometimes they will, but won't say anything (and surely won't trust you in the future). Sometimes they'll say something, and you'll look worse than if you had simply been honest.

Encourage honesty by being honest.

In my opinion, the best way to encourage honesty is to be honest. Others will notice, even subconsciously. A culture of honesty and openness makes it feel dirty to tell even a small untruth.

Even if you have bad news to report ("I might not get my work done because my cat is sick", or "Oh, no, that's not what I thought you were going to build"), it's better to let the appropriate stakeholders know, and let them know as early as possible so that any necessary adjustments can be made. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone slips, and everyone misinterprets a request now and then — it's how we handle these situations that defines our character and makes us successful.

DISCLAIMER: None of this applies if your significant other asks, "Do these pants make me look fat?"

Permalink