We get so should-blinded, we humans.

Managers lament that estimates should be reliable and also that they are seldom so.

Developers lament that requirements should be stable and also that they keep changing.

Teams know that the ticket and its attachments are seldom sufficient, and argue that they should always be.

Look, they just aren’t.

If we build all our behaviors on “shoulds” we are in denial.

Pretty soon we blame each other and even reality itself for being “wrong” when it doesn’t line up with our expectations, our strong shoulds.

Documents are not enough.

Estimates are not precise.

Requirements are not final.

Now what will you do differently, once “should” isn’t in charge?