When I started with TOWER Software four years ago, I was keen to get on with the job. You know, new project manager guy and all, trying to figure out what was what, and who was who. As part of this breaking-in process, I went around and asked each developer what they were working on, and how long they estimated that their current project would take. I'll admit that I had a secret agenda - it's important to find out who are the overly optimistic guys, and who are the more seasoned realists, because you're supposed to adjust your project schedules accordingly.. Anyway, I collected all this data and feed it into a secret Gantt chart I had somewhere. Most of the team were working on features that were being shipped in the next few months, and I got the broad range of overly positive responses, which is pretty common. I know I'm a terribly optimistic estimator. (Incidentally, if you're like me, my advice is to always multiply your estimate by the value of pi in order to ...
Hooray, you are back!
ReplyDeleteAh...yes!
ReplyDeleteGiven the problems I have faced over the past 12 months....I would have to say that is very true...
.....and I'm no Einstein ;)
Yep. Einstein was a firm believer in discussing his questions with others. Many of his greatest realizations came after talking his problems through with others. Listening to their questions sparked new avenues of thought in his own mind, which often led to the answers he was looking for.
ReplyDeleteI suppose from this we learn that it is more often vital to deal with problems as a group, than alone. I think we find our answers quicker and easier when we expose our thought processes rather than keep them hidden inside where they get tangled in our our ignorances.