Project management - the Specifications Myth

A lot of delays in projects are seen as due to lack of specifications or change in specifications. Is it really the case, the root cause for delay?

In real life, we rarely or nearly never know in advance what will happen when we plan something. What we are looking for is an objective and we adapt to reality. Take the holiday planning as an example. You plan to spend some good time at some place, and when you are there, you go and discover and adapt your plans. You did not specify in advance all places, meals, wake-up time.... You concentrated on what was important to you, for this particular holiday. Why do we imagine specifications should be different?

I believe what is crucial to a project, even more an IT project, is to determine the objective in a clear simple document. A simple and separate document from the specifications. A document translating needs in objectives, in key drivers...and ideally in performance indicators! Something to look at from time to time as the project moves on and the environment moves.

Specifications are more the root cause to fights between IT and users than the route to success for the project. A simple document stating the stakes and the objectives goes a much longer way to get everyone on board and create condition for project success.