I have been doing requirements gathering sessions for over fifteen years and I have dealt with people of all shapes and sizes. Some make the process easier than others. The trick is to know who you are dealing with and find a way to work with all of them in order to achieve your goals.

I have grouped the members of my Requirements Superheroes and Villains into 8 personalities:

REQUIREMENTS SUPERHEROES

• Mr. Motivator
• The Knight
• Brain Stormer
• Lady Insight

REQUIREMENTS VILLAINS

• Captain Interrupter
• Toxic Hijacker
• Windbag
• Phantom

Users and stakeholders we all love them and sometimes hate them. Remember, you need them more than they need you. The ability to work with different types of users and stakeholders is very important if you want to be successful at gathering requirements.

As I describe my Superheroes and Villains, I will also describe techniques that will help you deal with them in a group setting.

MR. MOTIVATOR
This superhero is lead by strong emotions. He wants people to take note of what he is saying. He speaks clearly and with purpose. He encourages others to join into the conversation. Others are motivated by his passion and purpose.

How to work with Mr. Motivator

• Let them speak
• Ask this person a leading or open-ended question
• Use them to bring others into the conversation

THE KNIGHT
The Knight is honorable and usually has a powerful presence. It is important to him that everyone gets what they need. He doesn’t necessarily take sides, unless something is absolutely wrong. However, when something is wrong, he will fight for justice.

How to work with The Knight

• Engage them and call on them often
• They take commitments very seriously, be honest and straight forward when answering their questions
• Use them to turn conflict into positive brainstorming or to quell an ongoing argument

BRAIN STORMER
The Brain Stormer always has something to say. They enjoy interacting with others. They are usually enthusiastic and upbeat. They also enjoy discussing and debating theories, concepts and anything that interests them.

How to work with Brain Stormer

• Engage them to get ideas flowing
• Call on them during silence
• Partner them with Captain Interrupter, because they will take the least offense

LADY INSIGHT
Lady Insight primarily focuses on what is rational or logical. They are good at providing suggestions on how something can be improved. They have an inclination to turn problems into logical explanations or solutions.

How to work with Lady Insight

• Engage them to turn problems into solutions
• Call on them to help someone, when they can’t articulate what they are saying
• Partner them with someone led by their emotions to get a balance
• Don’t let their logical minds stunt a good brainstorming session

CAPTAIN INTERRUPTER
Captain Interrupter has a bad habit of interrupting others when they are speaking. Usually this is because they disagree with what’s being said or they have a great idea and don’t have the self-control to wait their turn. Their intention is not to be rude. They often have great things to say.

How to work with Captain Interrupter

• Stop them and point out when someone else is talking
• Ensure them that they will have their turn
• Use the interrupter to interject if Windbag is rambling on
• Don’t let them get discouraged, they are often good at keeping a brainstorming session going, but if they shut down others will follow

TOXIC HIJACKER
The Toxic Hijacker often has his or her own personal agenda. They aren’t concerned with your goals or the consequences their actions will have to the meeting. They will bring up the same topic or issue over and over again, even though it has been discussed at length.

How to work with the Toxic Hijacker

• Stop them when they attempt to hijack a meeting
• Remind them the purpose or goal of the meeting
• Ask them to explain why their point is relevant to the conversation
• Partner them with The Knight in small groups

WINDBAG
The Windbag will talk endlessly. They never get to the point, because one point leads directly to another point. Some Windbags have trouble articulating their thoughts, while others just love to hear themselves think.

How to work with the Windbag

• Remind them that there is limited time
• Ask them to state their key points in a few words
• Write their key points on the board and then suggest time to circle back to them at the end of the session

PHANTOM
The Phantom will sit in a meeting and never say a word. They often have a voice and an opinion but feel that either no one would listen or no one would care. They begin to seem like part of the background and often go unnoticed.

How to work with the Phantom

• Encourage them to take part
• Ask them direct questions
• Remind them that they are here because their opinion is very important
• Partner them with Lady Insight; She has a thirst for knowledge and will ask good questions

I am sure you have run into these types and maybe even some of their sidekicks like the Joker, Mr. Expert, the Aggressor, Day Dreamer and Captain Crackberry. Just remember the primary purpose of a requirements gathering session is to exchange information. With each meeting you have, you will deal with Requirements Heroes and Villains. The more you understand what drives their superpowers the better you will be at achieving your goals.

Deena Chadwick,  Senior Contributor, Project Engineering at Organic