Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!tivoli!alan
From: alan@tivoli.UUCP (Alan R. Weiss)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: bridge building and discipline
Message-ID: <795@tivoli.UUCP>
Date: 31 May 91 17:15:54 GMT
References: <24527@unix.SRI.COM> <4707.284370a9@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
Reply-To: alan@tivoli.UUCP (Alan R. Weiss)
Distribution: na
Organization: Tivoli Systems Inc., Austin, TX
Lines: 47

Hiya, George!  Good to talk with you over the phone.

In article <4707.284370a9@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (George X. Kambic, Allen-Bradley Inc.) writes:
>In article <24527@unix.SRI.COM>, hlavaty@CRVAX.Sri.Com writes:
>> In article <4563.282e83ea@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>, kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (George X. Kambic, Allen-Bradley Inc.) writes...
>>>In article <1991May9.053311.800@netcom.COM>, jls@netcom.COM (Jim Showalter) writes:
>>>[...]
>[...]
>> 
>> Try reading "Controlling Software Projects" by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister.  They
>> propose a system where the metrics person is NOT the management chain - in fact,
>> it is forbidden for the metrics person to EVER reveal a specific name to a 
>> management person.  The reason is exactly as you describe - once anyone got
>> burned because of the metric data, the accuracy of all subsequent data is shot.
>> Of course, getting management to swallow this is the hard part...:=)  However,
>> if they do, at least they get metrics data that shows them more than they would
>> without it.  
>I know what you mean.  This is a good approach, in fact very much like the 
>position I am in right now, and I understand the "sales" problem.  I think that 
>I am raising discussions on this point because management won't accept the
>Humphrey viewpoint blindly, not if they have any good management sense. 

Watts Humphrey is a very bright person, but its clear from the SEI
(Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie-Mellon) program that
Watts never had to answer to the board of directors, stockholders,
or customers.

>> In practice, I'll bet the metrics person has to be a very smooth talker! :=)
>I'm probably the counterexample.

Hey, me too, me too!  Smooth talk is helpful, but sincerity and a
willingness to modify your position (i.e. say you're WRONG if you ARE
wrong) are even better.


>GXKambic
>standard disclaimer



_______________________________________________________________________
Alan R. Weiss                           TIVOLI Systems, Inc.
E-mail: alan@tivoli.com                 6034 West Courtyard Drive,
E-mail: alan@whitney.tivoli.com	        Suite 210
Voice : (512) 794-9070                  Austin, Texas USA  78730
Fax   : (512) 794-0623
_______________________________________________________________________