Red herrings

Drawing symmetry

Managing projects includes the crunching of a lot of data. A well working system could provide a steady flow of information that, given the reliability grade, offers a picture of the actual situation and then possible scenarios.

This model remains valid for most of our activities. Sources and kind of data can vary a lot (from figures to facial expressions) and the logic of the whole process does not chance.

The power similitude

There is a good book from  du Sautoy “Symmetry: A Journey into the Patterns of Nature” about the importance of symmetry in our ability to read and understand the nature.

There is a particular idea that fascinating me, it is about the need of our brains to recognize items based on their common factors.

On the Wired magazine, there is a nice article focused on the fallacious interpretation of a very scientific and technological result like a fMRI. In essence, this very powerful machine was “accused” to produce an image of the though of a dead salmon.

Looking for confirmation

Our attitude to interpret facts (and figures) is naturally conditioned, not only with our biases (caused by the adoption of determined patterns), but with less professional want for assurance.

Like most (if not all bloggers) I am interested about the figures produced my “colleagues”. The results are extremely different. It depends upon the chosen values (assuming that used tools are working with the same rules).

Clearing the field

Any time, starting from the negotiation of the project’s mandate, the understanding (if not sharing and accepting) common values make much easier the communication.

In French (like many other languages) there is a common phrase: “Plus la ça change, plus c’est la même chose”. My guess, we are using this concept when dealing with other people old ideas. It could be a good policy to adopt this rule for understanding our biases.

Conclusion

What can sound like astonishing good (or bad) needs much more attention (i.e. using different – perhaps more sophisticated – tools). A sudden change in the temperature of our emotions can be read as a signal that something is very close to a red herring.