Summary

The only way to be truthful in dealings of commerce and trade is by using measurement. This is not my idea, and it dates back a few thousand years. In the Torah, Leviticus 19:35 : “Do not falsify measurements whether in length, weight, or volume. You must have an honest balance.” The justice balance is a common symbol used to represent fairness. Without an honest balance in software, there cannot be truth and fairness in dealings. There are going to be a lot of disputes and conflict.

It is difficult to prove something is known unless there is supporting data. It requires trust and faith. The core business does not have a lot of trust or faith in the software development organizations. When IT can show to the core business that decisions are based upon systematic study, this improves the credibility gap. The real benefit to the individual developing software is not having projects shoved down his or her throat.

I use the book Blink as a supplemental reading in my graduate level statistics course. Blink is not about how intuition trumps measurement or the scientific method. The book is about how those who spend years studying a subject often see other correlations that are difficult to explain without further analysis. When I access an organization, I notice how the reception area looks and if the security guard has a pressed uniform. I also notice things like markers on white boards. I think to myself, if an organization can’t keep markers on a white board, can it develop large software projects? I can’t go to the board of directors and present my findings with the words, “The security guard wears a wrinkled uniform, and there are no markers on the white board.” I have to have hard, concrete data to support my conclusions. I have to be able to back up any claim I make with data. I have to demonstrate that I have done my homework and not left any stone unturned.

It has been my experience most individuals, regardless of pay grade respond well to an argument based upon data instead of intuition. When all the data supports that the project should not be undertaken, or an acquisition should not take place, or that wrong decisions are being made, most of the time, data wins the argument. One the other hand, if senior management refuses to listen to facts and figures, then the future is pretty easy to predict. The organization is going to hit the iceberg and sink. In this case, I recommend that you become one of the first people to get in a life raft and look for another job.