How do you run a requirements workshop? Ask the decision, not the wish list
Why 'what do you want?' fails, who has to be in the room, the four questions that surface the real problem, how to capture it as a problem, and how to end with a ranked list, an owner and a recap within 24 hours.
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Stop asking stakeholders what they want. The question gets you a wish list of solutions, and no way to choose between them. Ask which decision the work should change and when it last hurt, and the real problem shows up. One page on who to invite, the four questions that work, and how to end the meeting with a ranked list and an owner. The print-ready A4 PDF is at the bottom.
Why it fails
- "What do you want?" gets you a wish list.
- A wish list is made of solutions, not problems.
- Ask about the decision, and when it last hurt.
The room
- The decider: owns the call.
- The doer: lives the process daily.
- The skeptic: finds the holes early.
Questions that work
- What decision will this change, and for whom?
- What do you do today? The workaround is the spec.
- What happens if we do nothing? The cost of inaction.
- When did it last hurt? Get the story.
Capture it
- Problem first: not "add a button".
- Their words: quote, do not translate.
- One number: how often, how costly.
End the meeting
- A ranked list: top 3, in a forced order.
- One owner: a name per item.
- The recap within 24 hours, or it never happened.
The recap that makes it real
Subject: Recap, ⟨stock reporting⟩, ⟨Oct 9⟩
Decision it supports: ⟨which stores to restock⟩.
Today: ⟨3 exports merged by hand, 4h a week⟩.
If we do nothing: ⟨stockouts seen on Monday⟩.
Ranked: 1 ⟨alert⟩ 2 ⟨one source⟩ 3 ⟨history⟩.
Owner: ⟨Lea, ops⟩. Next step by ⟨Oct 16⟩.
Reply by ⟨Friday⟩ if I got anything wrong.
-- problems, a ranking, an owner. no solution yet.
Seven lines, sent within 24 hours. Fill the brackets while the room still remembers. Notice what is missing: no dashboard, no tool, no feature. The recap fixes the problem and the order. The solution comes after everyone has agreed on those.
Gotchas
- The loudest voice is not the priority.
- 12 invitees is a presentation.
- "All P1" means nothing is ranked.
The trap: the requirement is a solution
| They say | It is | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| "I need a dashboard" | a solution | what decision will it change? |
| "all of it, ASAP" | no priority | if only one ships, which? |
| "like the old report" | a habit | what do you do with it today? |
Interview phrasing worth memorizing: I do not collect requirements, I find the decision behind the request and work back from it.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 'what do you want?' a bad requirements question?
Who should be in a requirements workshop?
What questions should a business analyst ask to gather requirements?
How do you end a requirements workshop?
Get the free PDF
One page, print-ready, free to share. No signup needed.