On Nov 6, 2006, at 12:16 PM, Scott Berkun wrote:
> I’ve noticed in the last weeks that one of the new leads in my
> group tends to fudge facts - He makes up statistical correlations
> and repeats them often enough that people, including our bosses,
> take them as fact.

Is the issue that he’s throwing around statistical concepts in an
effort to snow people (”If you can’t dazzle them with
brilliance…”), or that he’s just plain making up fake data?

Either way, it sounds like you need to call him on it, but your
method will need to vary based on which problem you have.

If it’s the latter case, is this outright deceit, or just wishful
thinking? I’d ask him to back things up, and then show causation.
If it’s wishful thinking you’ll need management to understand that
they shouldn’t trust his numbers without verifying. If it’s deceit
you have a bigger (if more obvious) problem.

If it’s just a fire-hose of statistical nonsense, treat it in the
same way as you’d treat a fire-hose of any other types of buzzwords:
figure out who in the organization actually knows something about
statistical methods and get them involved. If the answer is “no one”
and it now falls to you (or you’re bored), read (warning, contains
colorful language), then peruse some of the books listed at the end.

-faisal

_______________________________________________
PM Clinic - www.scottberkun.com/forums/pmclinic/

Posted by Conrad Walton in Project Management