Feedback is essential to any communication or project, serving as a finetuner for the process. However, when feedback extends beyond the project scope, it is important for both parties involved to review the project’s scope and objectives. To avoid negative feedback, providing regular updates and ongoing feedback as the project progresses is crucial to achieving success. Lastly, the project manager, or anyone giving feedback, should ensure it is constructive and not hurtful. After all, feedback is meant to improve the project or inform future projects.

It’s really important to learn the art of setting clear boundaries with clients and itemizing (aka placing value on) services rendered. It’s important to establish terms like: Change order Up front. This gives you and clients a framework for discussion when inevitable changes come up or scope creep happens. Clients expect it. If you’re not creating the landscape for discussion for them you’ll find a lot of trouble and misunderstanding ahead.

To handle out-of-scope feedback, start by acknowledging and thanking stakeholders to show appreciation. Clearly explain how adding new ideas could affect the project’s scope, timeline, or budget, and suggest including their feedback in future phases if it doesn’t fit now. Document their input for future reference to show it’s not overlooked. Maintain open and clear communication, setting boundaries to keep the project focused. This approach respects their input while keeping the project on track.

Je suis convaincu que tout commentaire peut être utile, y compris lorsque celui-ci sort du cadre du projet. Dans la méthode Agile (mais pas que) on peut limiter ce phénomène en exposant aux parties prenantes les objectifs et les priorités dès le début du projet. Un backlog clair et un goal bien défini permettent aussi de borner efficacement les limites du projet. Malgré tout, si les parties prenantes formulent des feedbacks qui dépassent la portée du projet, pourquoi ne pas les compiler et organiser un atelier collaboratif pour en discuter et en tirer le meilleur, on peut très bien être passé à côté de quelque chose. C'est aussi une opportunité d'affiner les objectifs si on constate qu'ils n'étaient pas assez clairs.

Compare and analyze as a team if this idea or feature will significantly improve the business processes or give an advantage to the business. What will it cost in terms of timeline, man power and other resources. Weight the pros and cons. If there’s a significant positive impact on this idea it should be given some priority or at least prepared for. If the consequences of its negligence are minor then it can be move to the backlog. And if it’s a nice to have idea or feature, it can be moved to the woods. (back-backlog 🙂)

When stakeholders share feedback that goes beyond the project's scope, I would acknowledge their contributions and clarify the current objectives and limitations of the project. I would explain how their suggestions might be integrated into future phases, making sure they feel valued while we keep our immediate focus on the main objective. This approach helps us maintain alignment and manage expectations without jeopardizing the project's goals.

Lidar com feedback fora do escopo é desafiador, mas pode fortalecer relações: 1. Alinhe expectativas com um escopo claro. 2. Comunique impactos no cronograma e orçamento. 3. Avalie o valor de ideias fora do escopo. 4. Registre sugestões para o futuro. Esses passos transformam o feedback em uma oportunidade de melhoria.

It’s a fascinating question, if the feedback is outside the scope it might be helpful to have a metric for just how far outside the scope the request falls. I’m a big fan of understanding what the desirable outcomes are and if you get feedback of this nature it could be that your scope was calculated incorrectly and does not address all the issues. Here are the steps, how far outside the scope is the request, how important is this feedback to the client and project, does it need to refine the outcomes. Can a solution within your current scope address the feedback?