Upcoming Computer Science Colloquium on Deception and Estimation: How We Fool Ourselves by Linda Rising

The computer science department by way of our research group is hosting a colloquium talk (free and open to the public):

  • by: Linda Rising
  • about: Deception and Estimation: How We Fool Ourselves
  • on: May 17th, 2016, 14:00
  • at: Room 01.150-128, Cauerstraße 11, 91058 Erlangen

Abstract: Cognitive scientists tell us that we are hardwired for deception—overly optimistic about outcomes. In fact, we surely wouldn’t have survived without this trait. With this built-in bias as a starting point, it’s no wonder that software managers and teams almost always develop poor estimates. But that doesn’t mean all is lost. We must simply accept that our estimates are optimistic guesses and continually re-evaluate as we go. Linda Rising has been part of many development projects where sincere, honest people wanted to make the best estimates possible and used “scientific” approaches to make it happen—and all for naught. In many projects, because re-estimation was regarded as an admission of failure, the team spent too much time and endless meetings trying to “get it right.” Offering examples from ordinary life—especially from the way people eat and drink—Linda demonstrates how hard it is for us to see our poor estimating skills and offers practical advice on living and working with the self-deception that is hardwired in all of us.

Speaker: Linda Rising is an independent consultant who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has authored four books and numerous articles and she is an internationally known presenter on topics related to patterns, retrospectives, influence strategies, agile development, and the change process. With a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in the field of object-based design metrics, Linda’s background includes university teaching and software development in a number of different domains.