The language of estimating: Why your words matter
mobryant
Whether you use hours, days, weeks, story points, dollars, or some other method of estimation, you’re trying to communicate the same thing: what is the proposed level of effort it takes to accomplish a task or a project. But when it comes to sharing that information with your teams and your clients, what are you actually saying, how should you say it, and why does your choice of words matter?
This talk is geared towards developers, project managers, sales people, and anyone involved in the estimating process. During our time together, we’re going to explore the language of estimating and why it's important to choose your words carefully. We’ll discuss what it means to provide someone with an estimate and how often times, what you mean and what they interpret are two very different things. We’ll also delve into some tips and techniques that can help you prevent this type of miscommunication and align both parties. And if I do a good job, I may just convince you to eliminate the word estimate from your vocabulary all together!
Learning Objectives
After this session, attendees will:
- Gain a better understanding of what your clients (and sometimes colleagues) think and how they react when you give them an "estimate".
- Acquire specific techniques and a new vocabulary to help you more effectively assess and explain the level of effort required to complete a task or a project.
- Feel comfortable providing a level of effort to colleagues and clients without the fear of being wrong.
Target Audience
This talk is geared towards developers, project managers, sales people, and anyone involved in the estimating process.
Prerequisites
Attendees will get the most of this session if they are familiar with their own company or agency's internal process for estimating and providing estimates to colleagues and clients.
Track
Leadership, Management, & Business
Experience Level
Beginner
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