That’s Incredible….

….is not always a compliment.

You don’t need a Brian Williams-like meltdown to lose credibility. The biggest credibility risk for project managers and staff is how they handle time estimates for task duration.

True, they’re fighting human nature: the planning fallacy – that people are naturally optimistic in estimating their own task duration.

One solution is to add staff when the project is late. This happens so often (and is so ineffective) that it generated Brooks Law, summed up in the adage, “Nine women can’t make a baby in one month.”

Our solution is to temper that optimism by introducing deadlines sooner. As important, however, is how we train project managers to gather duration estimates. The worst thing a project manager can say to an activity manager is “Why should it take so long?” PSI teaches managers that it is more important to secure the activity manager’s commitment to the duration estimate than the estimate itself. The commitment is more important.

Otherwise, team members will over-inflate their time estimates anticipating the pushback. We call it the “escalating estimate padding and slashing game.” Trust is the first casualty.

My book describes multiple processes for determining a reasonable time estimate, but there are some quick, additional tips:

• Don’t challenge time estimates that are too long. Challenge the ones that are too short.
• Ask how many working days (not hours) would get the activity done.
• Reassure staff not to worry about the inaccuracy of the time estimates, but to worry about the activities that haven’t been identified yet.

Above all, remember that without the team’s full commitment on the time estimate, the project schedule is simply incredible. And not in a good way.

A recent Wall Street Journal article described a photo of a war scene as “grizzly.”  Another article said a politician was “unphased” by protests.

This happens so often there’s a word for it.  “The Cupertino Effect” is over-reliance on spell-checker software that produces mistakes.  In college, the worst outcome is a C+, but the stakes are higher in project management.  I’ve seen the poor techniques created by dependency on project management software:

-insufficient collaboration

-gaps in scheduling

-disengaged staff hiding behind software and email

It lets staff avoid accountability and ownership of their tasks.

PSI insists our clients put everyone in the room for the first planning session, because software doesn’t lead projects, people do.  Despite initial pushback, our clients uniformly say the conversations, commitment and ownership is incomparable.  The Project Success Method^(SM) doesn’t let people hide; it harnesses the power of collaboration.

Once people get out from behind their screens and engage, they develop ownership, accountability, and true teamwork in a process that is collaborative, actionable and that everyone believes in.  Software alone can’t do that; the human element makes the difference.

…Or else you’ll have people scanning a photograph wondering where the bear is.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/clintpadgett
• Twitter: @clintpadgett

Clint Padgett is the president and CEO of PSI. Since joining the firm in 1994, he has provided consulting, training, and account management to clients in a wide range of industries. His project experience covers many traditional and special applications, including: product development, equipment installation/startup, facility construction/moves, marketing, software/hardware system implementation, and international sporting events. He is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is associated with the Project Management Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Product Development & Management Association, among others. Additionally, Clint is a published author and frequently speaks at conferences on the subject of project management, including the Executive Education program in the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is an adjunct professor.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, keep ‘em or break ‘em – this is the time of year where New Year Resolutions are made… and often broken. We all do it. Every year we make resolutions that are all too quickly broken. Why? The reasons are varied. Perhaps the goal was simply too extreme, “I’m never going to eat candy again.” Or maybe it was too vague, “I’m going to work out this year.” Maybe the goal was stated correctly, but you wanted to make sure you did it “right,” which meant an informed decision was required—read: research. Research that you will “eventually” get around to doing.

Let’s discuss that last one for a minute. Like many of you, I too often fall into the Analysis-Paralysis trap – that innate desire to make the perfect informed decision or choice. For me, this need results in immense amounts of research, followed by a rigorous debate of the pros and cons for each option. Usually, just as I’ve made my best, well-informed decision, I learn of some new feature or option which, of course, changes the equation, forcing me to repeat the process anew with the new information provided.

Quick example: Several years ago, the heart rate monitor chest strap that I used while exercising stopped working. I went to the company’s website in order to find a replacement. While searching for my model, I discovered a plethora of new models with some features not offered in my older version. I immediately began clicking through some of them and an hour later decided I would need to do some research before spending my hard-earned money. Over the next few months (yes, months), I would, invest more time and effort in searching to find the “best fit.” I eventually grew tired of the search and, not wanting to regret purchasing the wrong one, did nothing. Every now and then, I would resolve to get my new heart rate monitor and the vicious Analysis-Paralysis cycle would start again.

So which one do you think I ended up buying? The “highest rated”? The “pro’s choice”? The “best seller”? As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I did not end up purchasing a single one. To make matters worse, I was using the lack of a heart rate monitor as an excuse to not work out. Basically, I wasted a lot of time and negatively impacted my health – all because I fell into the Analysis-Paralysis trap.

However, unlikely as it may seem based off the aforementioned, I did indeed eventually purchase a new heart rate monitor watch and chest strap. What changed? Something came along that shifted my focus – a friend challenged me to compete with him in a triathlon sprint, and I accepted. As I began to train, I wanted to track my progress – which, of course, meant I would need a good, high-quality heart rate monitor – and the trap was seemingly set anew (the movie Ground Hog Day suddenly comes to mind but that’s a blog for another day). Luckily, I was able to break the cycle this time thanks to an epiphany I had. Although I wanted to purchase the perfect one, I really only needed to buy one that would help me meet my workout goals. With the deadline for the sprint set, I couldn’t afford to waste a lot of time, so I set a goal of picking my heart rate monitor within my two next website research sessions. I held myself accountable to my goal, and I selected my heart rate monitor within the week.

I’m happy to report that I’ve had my new chest strap now for about six months. Is it the best one out there? I honestly can’t say, but I know that it works, and that’s ultimately what counts. I’ve begun my training and it’s helping me move forward towards my goal of finishing the sprint (an ironic anecdotal coincidence for those versed in Agile). Frankly, there are probably better options available, but I have learned that the benefit of finding the “perfect one” is not worth the set-back in time I would lose figuring out which one that is.

So what does all of this have to do with project management? That’s an excellent question and I’m glad you asked! Analysis- Paralysis was holding me back and could very well be what is holding YOU back from delivering that successful project! If you recognize that you and your organization need to get better at project delivery, but you aren’t quite sure how to proceed to get it “right,” this might be your problem as well. Should you focus on the process first? Or should you pick the software and let it drive the process? Maybe you should do some research on this. Sound familiar?

I happen to be a firm believer that laying a solid foundation that can grow and grow WITH your organization is important. Much more important, when you think of it, than what software tool you use to implement said growth. To me, software should be just one of the many tools we have in our project management toolbox that help make life easier for us (much like my heart rate monitor). I do not believe it is the answer to the question, “What will make me successful in managing my projects?”

So, can I make a suggestion? DO SOMETHING! DO ANYTHING! BUT DON’T DO NOTHING! Trust me, in six months, you’ll be so happy that you didn’t allow yourself to be paralyzed by indecision. Write a project charter. Get your team together and actually have a face-to-face dialogue about the project. Put together a schedule with your team that is believable and actionable. Communicate on a regular basis to identify and resolve project issues. Collaborate with your team. Do them all or just pick one, but start today and do something. One of my favorite proverbs is: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Today I challenge you to take that first step towards your project’s success!