Re: Project estimates

["Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM>]

Grant Hogarth replies to my plea for mercy on behalf of new project
leaders:

> But, if you *don't* have the years of experience with the type of
> projects you're required to estimate, you have to start *somewhere*.

Hmmm... sounds like the old saw about making bad decisions through
lack of experience, and gaining experience by making bad decisions.
:-)

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:) 'tis true.  In a perfect world, we would walk into a new project and be
handed a smooth set of easily-understood metrics and variables for the
metrics, based on years of experience in the organization.  We would also
all get through grounding in project management principles before we
managed projects, we would be able to keenly read the future to account
for the unknown and there would be no overtime.

Since we live in the degraded and imperfect realm that we do, at least
give some credit to people who are trying to begin the process and say:
"This is our best guess of what it should be; if we vary from it, let's
figure out why and make a better guess next time."

While it's true that it amounts to gaining experience by making bad
decisions, it's significantly better than -throwing away- experience
gained by making bad decisions....

Skoal,

Doug                       "Every gift that is given is given
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com      is given for a reason."

                                               -- Martin Bell

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The preceding opinions and positions are mine alone, and are only
coincidentally related to those of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
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