Comments on: Nuts: the biggest trap of all for IT stakeholders http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/ Intensely practical tips on information technology management, by Peter Kretzman Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:07:45 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: La complejidad no es sencilla: múltiples causas de fracaso de IT « Gestión de Valor Inversiones IT http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8837 La complejidad no es sencilla: múltiples causas de fracaso de IT « Gestión de Valor Inversiones IT Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:21:15 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8837 [...] de proyectos de tecnología de la información. En esencia, hemos caído en el dilema de las “nueces“, tanto en formas grandes y pequeñas. Queremos tanto, y tratamos tanto, que hemos aumentado [...] [...] de proyectos de tecnología de la información. En esencia, hemos caído en el dilema de las “nueces“, tanto en formas grandes y pequeñas. Queremos tanto, y tratamos tanto, que hemos aumentado [...]

]]> By: Complexity isn’t simple: multiple causes of IT failure http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8771 Complexity isn’t simple: multiple causes of IT failure Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:21:28 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8771 [...] sticking point in launching information technology projects.  In essence, we’ve fallen into the “nuts” dilemma, both in large and small ways.  We want so much, and attempt so much, that we increase our risk of [...] [...] sticking point in launching information technology projects.  In essence, we’ve fallen into the “nuts” dilemma, both in large and small ways.  We want so much, and attempt so much, that we increase our risk of [...]

]]> By: Peter Kretzman http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8752 Peter Kretzman Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:27:36 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8752 Yes; your blog post is excellent. The amusing part that came to mind as I read it was that the very same people (typically) who say "programmers are such optimists" when a project is running late are the ones who battered down the original longer estimates from those same programmers at the beginning of the project, saying that oh, programmers are always such pessimists. Or essentially, anyway. Thanks for contributing. I enjoy your blog. Yes; your blog post is excellent. The amusing part that came to mind as I read it was that the very same people (typically) who say “programmers are such optimists” when a project is running late are the ones who battered down the original longer estimates from those same programmers at the beginning of the project, saying that oh, programmers are always such pessimists. Or essentially, anyway.

Thanks for contributing. I enjoy your blog.

]]> By: Mark W Schumann http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8750 Mark W Schumann Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:35:56 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8750 Peter, I thought a little more about the "too many nuts" problem, recast it as the "single nut too big" problem from the developers' point of view, and blogged about it this morning at http://blog.criticalresults.com/2009/11/04/optimism-death-march/ Thanks for the prompt! Peter, I thought a little more about the “too many nuts” problem, recast it as the “single nut too big” problem from the developers’ point of view, and blogged about it this morning at http://blog.criticalresults.com/2009/11/04/optimism-death-march/

Thanks for the prompt!

]]> By: Programmer optimism, and the “Death March” « Critical Results http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8749 Programmer optimism, and the “Death March” « Critical Results Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:02:56 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8749 [...] isn’t late because developers are braggarts. It’s because management has assigned them too much to do, which, as Peter Kretzman warns is the best way to not get what you want from your I.T. [...] [...] isn’t late because developers are braggarts. It’s because management has assigned them too much to do, which, as Peter Kretzman warns is the best way to not get what you want from your I.T. [...]

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8747 uberVU - social comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:43:37 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8747 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by PeterKretzman: It's not a silver bullet, but neglecting to do Project Portfolio Management is a sure path to IT failure. http://bit.ly/1uZ3pA #itfail #cio... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by PeterKretzman: It’s not a silver bullet, but neglecting to do Project Portfolio Management is a sure path to IT failure. http://bit.ly/1uZ3pA #itfail #cio…

]]> By: Mark W Schumann http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8746 Mark W Schumann Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:43:05 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8746 The seductive thing about quoting software projects is that software is infintely malleable, and it takes practically no time to go from "blueprint" (source code) to finished product (deliverable). So the question of "how long will it take to develop feature X?" <em>feels like</em> very nearly the same thing as "how fast can you figure out problem X?" Since software developers are selected and self-selected for problem-solving skills and confidence in same, it is so so so easy to give a "Yes We Can!" kind of answer no matter the size of the request. In fields where you manipulate physical things, in which delays are built in, not so much. So first you've got I.T. Development with its built-in optimism. Then you've got Management looking for some way to condense the time and money required to achieve corporate goals, and every other department is up against hard limits: personnel, shipping time, regulations, the tax calendar, whatever. And Development's got nothing but soft limits, so that's what gets pushed. It's not surprising that the software people get overscheduled. The seductive thing about quoting software projects is that software is infintely malleable, and it takes practically no time to go from “blueprint” (source code) to finished product (deliverable). So the question of “how long will it take to develop feature X?” feels like very nearly the same thing as “how fast can you figure out problem X?”

Since software developers are selected and self-selected for problem-solving skills and confidence in same, it is so so so easy to give a “Yes We Can!” kind of answer no matter the size of the request. In fields where you manipulate physical things, in which delays are built in, not so much.

So first you’ve got I.T. Development with its built-in optimism. Then you’ve got Management looking for some way to condense the time and money required to achieve corporate goals, and every other department is up against hard limits: personnel, shipping time, regulations, the tax calendar, whatever. And Development’s got nothing but soft limits, so that’s what gets pushed.

It’s not surprising that the software people get overscheduled.

]]> By: Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8745 Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:09:07 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8745 Awesome post Peter. Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) is the KEY to grabbing just the right amount of nuts. Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist http://community.ca.com/blogs/theitgovernanceevangelist/ Awesome post Peter. Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) is the KEY to grabbing just the right amount of nuts.

Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist
http://community.ca.com/blogs/theitgovernanceevangelist/

]]> By: Canaries in the coal mine: Why your IT department may be in worse shape than you think http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8646 Canaries in the coal mine: Why your IT department may be in worse shape than you think Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:47:52 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8646 [...] Projects are begun one-by-one. Estimates, if done at all, are unrelated to actual resource allocation. Without a project portfolio [...] [...] Projects are begun one-by-one. Estimates, if done at all, are unrelated to actual resource allocation. Without a project portfolio [...]

]]> By: The Practical CIO: Difficulties in project prioritization & selection, part 1 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-8645 The Practical CIO: Difficulties in project prioritization & selection, part 1 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:05:01 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/04/28/nuts-the-biggest-trap-of-them-all/#comment-8645 [...] The process must recognize that there will still be a judgment-based component to project selection, and focus on standardizing the input information to ensure that judgment is maximally informed.  Recognize that biases and politics will play some role in project selection, and seek actively at all times to mitigate the effects of such bias.  Again, the most important check and balance? Not to take on too much, despite whatever urgency, politics, or potential ROI may exist: that would be nuts. [...] [...] The process must recognize that there will still be a judgment-based component to project selection, and focus on standardizing the input information to ensure that judgment is maximally informed.  Recognize that biases and politics will play some role in project selection, and seek actively at all times to mitigate the effects of such bias.  Again, the most important check and balance? Not to take on too much, despite whatever urgency, politics, or potential ROI may exist: that would be nuts. [...]

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