Had a great conversation w/a coworker about dates and deadlines (and calendars) today, and it really got me thinking...
I asked what dates actually meant to him.
“It means commitment, that I can count on this getting done...”
(1/n)
I asked what dates actually meant to him.
“It means commitment, that I can count on this getting done...”
(1/n)
In that sense it was about feeling heard, acknowledged, reliability, “predictability”, and a sense of commitment.
Now, in many circles those words ring *all* kinds of alarm bells. They do with me.
But they can also be genuine, reasonable, etc.
(2/n)
Now, in many circles those words ring *all* kinds of alarm bells. They do with me.
But they can also be genuine, reasonable, etc.
(2/n)
I tried out my standard ... “what if I could a tell you that I had 95% confidence it would get done within a date range ... like between #/## and #/##”
“Oh sure, that would be fine. I mean that seems like a broad range, I’d like it to be tighter, but sure...”
(3/n)
“Oh sure, that would be fine. I mean that seems like a broad range, I’d like it to be tighter, but sure...”
(3/n)
For fun — and totally not a good research question — I also asked him to predict his response had I said something like “I am almost certain we can get it done before #/##”
“That would be even better. Less complicated. Feels like a long time, but I understand...”
(4/n)
“That would be even better. Less complicated. Feels like a long time, but I understand...”
(4/n)
To make it crazier, I produced some data from a prior work environment where that confidence level would have left things taking between 1 and 6 months. OK?
“Absolutely not”
And that made sense. I’d need to paint the picture of how to address that problem somehow.
(5/n)
“Absolutely not”
And that made sense. I’d need to paint the picture of how to address that problem somehow.
(5/n)
The more we talked, the more I realized that this was about trust. It was also about awareness and experience.
Bc I’ve sort of studied these types of systems, I have reasonably good intuition about the types of promises that can be kept, and the ones that can’t.
(6/n)
Bc I’ve sort of studied these types of systems, I have reasonably good intuition about the types of promises that can be kept, and the ones that can’t.
(6/n)
....In the sense that I’m aware that some large % of the issue has nothing to do with typing time, work time, estimate-able time, etc.
(7/n)
(7/n)
I also know first hand the crazy impact of high WIP in all its glory.
(8/n)
(8/n)
This really hammered home to me that as “tech” professionals, product developers, whatever, it is sort of our responsibility to know the physics of the work. To study it. To limit work in progress. To visualize the work.
To make promises we can keep.
(9/n)
To make promises we can keep.
(9/n)
Because reflexively shunning estimates, deriding dates, etc. without having a way to build bridges and distill down the physics of the work in a relateable way... that doesn’t do anyone much good.
(10/n)
(10/n)
