🌟 Submit Change Request: Ensure the sales team's request is formally documented. 🌟 Evaluate the Change: Assess the impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk. Use tools like cost-benefit analysis or SWOT analysis. 🌟 Consult Project Team: Involve stakeholders and the Change Control Board (CCB) to evaluate feasibility. 🌟 Decision Making: Approve or reject the change, updating the project plan if necessary. 🌟 Communicate Decision: Clearly inform all stakeholders about the decision and implications. 🌟 Implement and Monitor: If approved, update project baselines and monitor the change's impact.

When sales teams push for last-minute product feature changes, I assess how these changes fit with our market demands and overall product strategy. I weigh the immediate benefits against potential impacts on our roadmap and long-term goals. By balancing flexibility with strategic alignment, I ensure we respond effectively to market needs without losing sight of our broader objectives.

In my experience, it is crucial to align with market demands especially in an increasingly competitive market in the area of AI. However, last-minute changes can disrupt the product roadmap, cost the organization and create risks. Being agile and responsive is important, but there must be a balance between customer-driven requests and the overall product vision. I evaluate the changes requested and prioritize them based on alignment with long-term goals and revenue impact. It is important to manage sales team expectations and discuss the timing of the changes - sometimes there is a trade-off that needs to be made between what can be achieved immediately versus longer term

Some questions to consider: 1. Is the change request valid? Is it informed by quality data? 2. Is it aligned with the overall product strategy and/or what we think we already know? If no, refer to Q1. 3. What is the output necessary to bring this outcome to life? Is it low-hanging fruit, or will it require reprioritizing the roadmap? If the latter, is the change justified based on expected return? 4. What are the “political consequences” (positive and negative) of this pivot, especially within the product team?

In my perspective, this is a universal and not a new one. Sales team never wants to dent their relationship with clients even at the cost of engineering/ dev teams. This issues have been drastically reduced with agile project management but still having some. From a leadership, we have to balance address both sales and engineering teams' concerns. I would suggest engineering team to take up the changes unless there are huge engineering efforts required. Also push sales team to update client about the efforts we are putting to gain their soft corner :)