Overcoming Mistake 1: Focus on results

Coming from a developer background, we naturally play to our strengths.
Thus, when projects or products are raised we tend to focus on the technical aspects.

However, as maturing developers, managers and directors, we need to change our focus (at least during the early stages of the project) to be results focussed.

Example 1
[Hyperthetical]
You are asked to provide a web based Content Management System.
Immediately you are considering DotNetNuke and SharePoint (say).
Next you learn (not through asking mind you!) that it needs to tie in directly with Active Directory.
OK (you think), that brings you back to SharePoint.
Later you discover it needs to run on a Linux Server.
At this point you start strategising how you will convince the client to move to Windows (plus sell them Server licenses!)... and on it goes.

Example 2
[Real]
A recently completed project involved interaction from a Windows Server based system to an AS400 server (this was dictated by the client's IT team). In hindsight, very little time was spent analysing what the client wanted to achieve, and instead a large amount of time was spent on the technical integration details. Months later, some wonder whether the client really gained the result they were after... this is in many ways a failing on solution developer. It's easy for us to love the technical challenge more than we love the client! Has this been your experience also?

Bottom line
Our job is to ask all the questions first, focussing on the result the client wants (the client being external or internal).
Only then do we evaluate whether we are a good fit.