"Most teams do not need a leader to pressure them into overcommitting. They'll usually do it on their own. Developers are often deeply optimistic, believing in making things better and seeing how technology can improve lives."
"If a team is already prone to overcommitting on its own, any added pressure from above can push that team into dramatically overcommitting. The problem was that I was treating optimism like a contract."
"Software teams often make reasonable plans based on incomplete information. They make assumptions about what will go well and estimate based on that path, leaning toward the best or near-best case without realizing it."
Teams often overcommit due to their inherent optimism, not because of pressure from leaders. Software developers believe in improvement and tend to make plans based on best-case scenarios. This optimism can lead to unrealistic estimates, which are not a sign of irresponsibility but rather a human tendency. Leaders must recognize that overcommitment often occurs before any external pressure is applied. Treating optimistic estimates as contracts can lead to significant issues in team performance and morale.
Read at Mountaingoatsoftware
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