Can-do Thinking Makes Risk Management Impossible
by Jim Highsmith, 9 January 2012 | The Agile Blogosphere
This post is from Jim Highsmith .com by Jim Highsmith. Click here to see the original post in full.
“Can-do thinking makes risk management impossible. Since acknowledging real risk is defeatism, the risk management function in a can-do organization is restricted to dealing with those smallish risks that can be mitigated by quick action. That means you confront all the risks except the ones that really matter.” (Tom DeMarco, Why Does Software Cost So Much? Dorset House 1995)
Of the many, many quotes from Tom DeMarco that I’ve used over the years, this one is near the top of my favorite list. I’m reminded of a major airline that launched into a comprehensive—hotel, car rental, etc.—reservation system long ago. After a $100 million expenditure, the project was cancelled and a half-dozen project managers were fired, for “lying” about progress. I have always wondered whether or not the company “culture” forced the project managers into an untenable situation in which “shading” the truth became the only escape.
“We’re going to be over budget by about 10% and will need an additional 4 months to get this project finished,” states the project manager in a status meeting....
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