Daily Quiz Challenge

The Waterfall approach to project management led to mistrust and poor communication between development teams due to its rigid, sequential structure and emphasis on documentation over collaboration. This traditional methodology creates barriers between different phases of development and often results in siloed teams with limited interaction.

Waterfall methodology follows a linear progression through distinct phases: requirements gathering, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Each phase must be completed before the next begins, creating natural barriers between different team functions and limiting opportunities for collaboration.

Communication problems in Waterfall include:

• Limited feedback loops: Requirements are fixed early with little opportunity for revision
• Documentation dependency: Heavy reliance on written specifications rather than direct communication
• Phase gate restrictions: Teams cannot easily collaborate across different project phases
• Late problem discovery: Issues often surface late in the process when they're expensive to fix
• Blame culture: Sequential handoffs create opportunities for finger-pointing when problems arise

Trust issues arise from:

• Lack of transparency between teams working on different phases
• Limited visibility into progress and challenges across the project
• Rigid change control processes that discourage adaptation
• Emphasis on meeting phase deadlines rather than delivering value

These limitations led to the development of Agile methodologies, which emphasize collaboration, iterative development, and adaptive planning. Modern software development practices recognize that complex projects require ongoing communication and flexibility rather than rigid adherence to predetermined plans.