Unlocking the Mystery of Boring Specifications: Tips to Keep People from Napping 😴

May 6

Earlier this week on the podcast we tackled specifications. We're doubling down on this subject in this week's newsletter.

TL;DR

My goal was to find every Scheduling Specification on the internet. Project planning and success depend on specifications. Well-written specs lead to clear expectations and efficiency. Poorly written ones, however, cause confusion & delays.

Scheduling and Planning Specifications are probably something you've seen, written or edited. There's a lot of importance to these documents. There are a million ways to plan and schedule.

Specifications set clear expectations when they're written well. It's a way for people to do their jobs faster and more confidently. Projects get done on time with them. They keep people's relationships healthy.

Poorly written specifications create confusion and uncertainty. They make it hard for people to understand what they're supposed to do. It leads to the establishment of processes and systems that delay the completion of projects. They cause communication gaps that strain relationships between participants in the project, leading to tension and misunderstandings.

The only way to solve this is by writing better specifications.

It‘s important to consider several factors when creating or modifying a specification;

What’s the program or project's goals?
What type of contract is this specification going to be appended to?
What capability or skills exist to educate and enforce the specification?
What capability or skill level exists at the contractors this is intended for?
How will the specification measurably improve planning or scheduling?

And then there is one other important thing to consider.

You'll notice most of the examples I've provided take similar approaches. Granted, these are all government specifications. I have found that even private industry specifications are similar.

They tend to focus heavily on the basic step by step operations. Oftentimes in very granular detail. Making them extremely boring to read through.

There are loads of useful pieces and information in these. Please do not start from scratch when writing a specification. But that doesn’t make them unboring.

Take these into consideration due to the boring factor;

How can you make these more engaging to consume? Graphics, video, conversational language.
Is there a better way to set up the reader for success? Prepare template schedules with requirements to assist the user or resource loader in estimating the number of people needed.
Can you better explain the “Why?” and align on the goals thus eliminating much of the micro? Need specific installation details to improve future projects.
In parallel to writing the specification, is there a way to set up automation for checking compliance?
Would it be possible to future-proof your specification to prevent the constant churn of updates?