Comments on: Estimates Are Not Commitments

By: keith ray

keith ray — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Exercise: ask Fred what portions of the installation guide could be done in one week and the following week; set the expectation that you (or someone else) will review those portions on those dates…and follow through.

If the estimate turns out to be off for the first week (less of the installation guide was done than planned), you now have warning that it will probably be off for the second week.

By: Udi Dahan

Udi Dahan — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

What if your boss treats your estimates as commitments ?

By: Dale Emery

Dale Emery — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Udi, I have a few possibilities to consider.
The next time your boss requests an estimate, ask whether the boss is asking for an estimate or a commitment. That will likely start a conversation.
Whenever you give an estimate, also give your confidence that you will finish at or before the estimate.
Draw an uncertainty diagram (aka risk diagram) that shows the range of possible completion dates and, for each date, your confidence that you will deliver by that date. See Tom Demarco and Tim Lister’s
Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects
for more information about risk diagrams.
Always write down the assumptions on which you based your estimate, and always give the assumptions along with the estimate. Payson Hall, at a recent presentation to the Sacramento Area Quality Association, said, “Never let your numbers become separate from the assumptions on which they are based.”
If your boss wants a commitment, figure out what date you can commit to, and commit to it. Express it as a commitment and not an estimate. If you can’t commit to any date, don’t give a commitment. Never, ever, make a commitment you don’t believe in. See Watts Humphrey’s excellent discussion of commitment discipline in
Managing the Software Process
(pages 69–72). It’s really good stuff.
Do any of these ideas help?

By: Udi Dahan

Udi Dahan — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

These are great !
However, apparently you have yet to deal with the kind of irrational bosses that I have. I had one specifically ask for an estimate, then he made a commitment to HIS boss based on my estimate, and then berated me for not meeting my “commitment”.
The Dilbert PHB lives.

By: Dale Emery

Dale Emery — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Yes, I have worked for a few irrational bosses like the one you describe.
One thing I learned is that I can’t make irrational bosses rational. What I can do is to express my expectations and commitments honestly and fully, hope for the best, and accept that what the boss does with the information is entirely up to the boss. I certainly don’t want to compound the insanity by acting foolishly myself, by making commitments I don’t believe in.
The ideas I offered don’t always shield me from other people’s disappointment or anger. But they have helped me to stay sane in the face of irrationality and blaming, and sometimes that’s the best I can do.

By: Udi Dahan

Udi Dahan — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

In these cases I usually took one of two courses of action:
1. I went to my boss and I stated that, despite ongoing efforts, I felt that I wasn’t capable of performing up to the standards that he required, and that I would like to work with him in finding a resolution.
This sometimes got me transferred to a different team/boss - which is what I really wanted, but without burning any bridges.
2. If (1) didn’t work, I would look for a job elsewhere.
I believe that ultimately everyone’s job is to please their boss. If your boss isn’t happy, you aren’t doing your job. So, if this can’t be solved, you just have to go find a boss that you can please.
Albeit, the above is rather simplistic, but it gets to the guts of todays workplace.