Three universal truths for why projects are not completed on time
Finishing a project on time is a difficult achievement in the workplace and at home. In last week’s post “Uncluttered project planning,” I discussed ways to avoid missing deadlines when you’re in charge of the project. However, we’re not always the ones calling the shots.
In fact, even when we think we’re in charge of a project, we often are not. When we have to rely on others to supply information, supplies, or support, timelines (and budgets) can quickly be extended. After years of working across multiple professions and with clients, I have identified where projects typically go awry. From page 200 of Unclutter Your Life in One Week:
These are the universal truths for why projects are not completed on time:
- Clients are never as prepared as they say they will be.
- Clients always change their mind.
- People always underestimate the amount of time it will take to do something.
(The word clients in this list can easily be substituted with bosses, co-workers and also you.)
Clients are never as prepared as they say they will be. For most people, working on a project is more fun than planning it. As a result, clients don’t think through the entire process and its results before contacting a vendor. Putting in the research, collecting data, identifying the goal of the project, and envisioning it through to its completion before contacting a vendor will help enormously to preserve a timeline.
Clients always change their mind. I think it’s important for a project to have flexibility, but changing the scope of a project will extend timelines and/or costs. You need to be prepared for these changes and ready for when they happen. You can reduce the impact and costs of these changes simply by having a single decision-making liaison between the client and vendor. If a client or vendor is being contacted by more than one person, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. One person should act as the filter on both ends of a relationship to make sure that only approved changes that relate to the final outcome of the project are communicated.
People always underestimate the amount of time it will take to do something. Even though I have timed myself enough to know how long it actually takes me to do something, I still think I work faster than I do. We all think this way. In our minds, we have speed of pumas. Avoid this project pitfall by using the following:
A good rule of thumb is to double everything up to a day. If you think something will take you two hours, plan for it to take four. If you think something will take you eight hours, plan for it to take sixteen. After eight hours, the double rule stops being as accurate. For projects that I estimate will take between one and five days, I just tag on an additional day. If someone says it will take him two weeks to complete a portion of the project, I add three additional days into the schedule.
Your project’s timeline can be preserved or closely achieved with proper planning, organizing, improved communication, and realistic expectations for work completion. Remember the three universal truths for why projects are not completed on time, and do your best to avoid them.
Posted by Erin on Mar 8, 2010 |
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16 comments posted
Posted by Kairisika - 03/08/2010
Or you can always take the programming standard – double the number, and add a unit. Expect two hours? Plan for four days. Told it will take a day? Anticipate two weeks.
Posted by Mletta - 03/08/2010
You also left out “Vendors do not deliver their products or services on time.” This then throws off the whole project in many instances.
You mention “realistic expectation for work completion.”
That does not exist anymore. Someone (the boss, the client, the client’s boss, etc.) decides that they want X on Day X. Period. The fact that it isn’t doable based on the amount of time needed for turnaround doesn’t matter. THey. Want. It.
Unrealistic expectations and turnaround time are the reason that most project deadlines are not met. They never could.
Nobody ever wants to say NO and those that caution about time issues are ignored and told: Just. Do. It.
People cannot work 24/7 but many projects are structured as if that were possible.
The worst is when people have ridiculously short turn-around times, very limited budgets and very high expectations. Nightmare in the making.
Even doubling the time, faking deadlines, it frequently never works.
The only way we ever got other departments to do their work on time on a multi-department project was to charge them when they were late. Even then, many dept heads didn’t care and just paid extra.
And fyi, even with only one client contact, the client WILL change the project dimensions, details, etc. and there is NOTHING you can do about it if you want to keep their business. They don’t care.
The best managers learn to listen carefully and respect what their vendors tell them about turnaround times and project resources and budgets AND deadlines. If they don’t, the project will suffer.
Posted by Erin Doland - 03/08/2010
@Mletta — You’re describing two situations, and both of them are included above. Unrealistic expectations means that the “client” is unprepared. It clearly means that he/she lacks information and didn’t do the research ahead of time, thus creating an unachievable timeline. The other situation you describe (vendors not providing things on schedule) is included in the third truth — people underestimate how long it will take them to do something.
Posted by Thekla Richter - 03/08/2010
I think another truth is that people are often unwilling to accept the reality that their ongoing choices have impact and consequences that *they* must take responsibility for. Expectation-setting and change management can only go so far… beyond a certain point, personal responsibility is a concept that each person must be willing to learn. That includes accepting the reality that we can’t control our clients and stakeholders, only strive to influence them.
Posted by Craig Jarrow - 03/08/2010
Erin – Love this post! Think you are right on with your three truths.
From my experience, it is usually #3 that impacts the project at hand. That coupled with companies’ complacent attitude around deadlines, leads to projects repeatedly being extended.
-Craig
Posted by TanyaZ - 03/08/2010
Tell me about it…
Posted by Pawel @ Minimalist Business - 03/08/2010
Another good strategy when giving out project timelines is to operate in as big time units as possible. Instead 2-4 hours, say half a day. Instead 5 days, a week and so on.
It’s easier to accept an hour delay if the project was meant to take half a day. But imagine the same with one estimated for 4 hours.
Posted by Mike - 03/08/2010
I always liked a response a friend told me he gives clients:
Pick any two from this list:
– You can have it fast.
– You can have it perfect.
– You can have it cheap.
Whichever two options you choose, you will definitely not get the third.
Posted by jepeto - 03/09/2010
Proper planning prevents piss-poor performance
7 P’s of planning
Posted by Vanessa (One New Thing) - 03/09/2010
I am so bad about underestimating the time it takes me to do something. Sooo bad. It finally dawned on me that part of my problem was trying to be “on time” when I really needed to be shooting for “early.” On time is virtually impossible anyway, since it’s hard to plan things down to the minute, but if I need to be somewhere or finish something by a certain time, I now shoot for an earlier time (depending on what it is). This has helped me tremendously.
Posted by Kevin - 03/09/2010
In general – I have had customers that don’t know what they want. They want you to demo your way to the finish line. So no matter what numbers you give you are always defeated. You deliver on time each time but you are not closer to closing and leaving the project.
Another interesting article might look at software tools beyond personal task lists, and project to help get better estimates and better deliverable reaction. One other issue that could be tried is with the customer. Is there a certain frame work that a person could use with the customer to help them down their road? I like this site. But I often find that I have clutter on the brain as a developer not always on my desk.
Posted by links for 2010-03-11 « Boskabout - 03/11/2010
[...] Three universal truths for why projects are not completed on time These are the universal truths for why projects are not completed on time: [...]
Posted by dumdrum - 03/12/2010
@Mike: i worked in a design team which followed that formula.
very effective indeed. once the client knows this, they tend to focus on reality a bit more than their dreams!
Posted by Monday Quick Links | design work life - 03/15/2010
[...] reads: How to Get motivated for Self-PromotionThree Universal Truths for Why Projects are not Completed on TimeSelf Promotion for Creatives, an e-bookMark Boulton’s Designing for the Web is now online.The [...]
Posted by Laura - 03/15/2010
@Mike and @dumdrum: I just attended a course on Project Management and apparently that’s the triple constraint (time, cost, quality). This all comes down to prioritization and preparation again on the part of the client.
Posted by Trying To Find The Road Not Taken » Blog Archive » Universal Truths on Project Completion Times - 03/21/2010
[...] my friend Kelly sent over an article from the Unclutterer website called, “Three universal truths for why projects are not completed on time”. Within two minutes of reading the first paragraph and the three universal truths, Craig and I [...]
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