While handling a certain issue, it is always useful to look back at your initial estimates to analyze and see if you are on the right track. As long as you have an estimate at hand, you’ll always have an understanding of what is still left to do.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
However, estimation is often tricky and not as simple as it seems. <\/strong>Let me first give you a great life example. I’d like to refer to Michael Wolfe<\/strong> and his answer to one of the questions on Quora<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the example, he describes a hike on the coast from San Francisco -> Los Angeles to visit friends in Newport Beach. The route seems about 400 miles long; if walking 4 miles\/hr for 10 hours\/day, it’s possible to reach the destination in 10 days. It sounds logical to call the friends and book a dinner for next Sunday night after you roll in triumphantly at 6 p.m that day. Estimation rocks, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, the author starts mentioning a variety of things and everyday events that are constantly moving the deadline<\/strong> (the arrival date) further during the trip: twists and turns on the coast, sand that is difficult to walk on, stairs, angry sea lions, an inaccurate map, oversleeping, blisters, headaches, and fever, as well as frustration and fatigue. As a result, you get to realize that an initially estimated 10-day journey actually turns into a 60-day disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a very good example of ill-thought assessments, overconfidence, the interdependence of circumstances, and simple negligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine that you have a set of prioritized tasks<\/a> to complete. However, every day you face some urgent unplanned tasks to be done right away and interfering with accomplishing the major goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can carelessly accept new tasks, switch between them non-stop, and at the end of the day be horrified and overwhelmed by your giant backlog<\/strong>. It will result in numerous missed deadlines, no doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, you can stick to your initial plan & refuse to do anything else saying \u201cI already have things to do\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Would you call both these attitudes professional? Sure enough, you can’t win in either of the scenarios. Instead, you can select a work-oriented approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always stay aware of your current workload and never schedule your tasks to be completed back-to-back<\/strong>. When estimating time for getting things done, remember that there should always be room for unforeseen circumstances, and in such a case you will be ahead of the game and keep up the pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, it may happen that you’re really overloaded. Extra payment for overtime may be a reasonable option for both parties. But it is better to agree on the deal in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be truly effective, you need to define activities that are of the highest value and focus on those tasks. If you\u2019re requested to do something unplanned, find out what is more important: these new things or your current work. It may happen that a new task is lower in priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the right approach, you will always be able to get the most important and most pressing issues handled.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The worst possible outcome is failing to do the job but a man can do no more than he can. If you feel you don’t have enough time to do something yourself, delegate it. In most cases, you can always reschedule things or smartly allocate your duties. The main thing is to do it on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to provide accurate estimates. When you’re aware of time limits, you’ll carefully and thoughtfully choose the best fitting options.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan Milstein<\/strong> has a great article called “Coding, Fast and Slow: Developers and the Psychology of Overconfidence<\/a>“. He addresses the problem from the software engineering perspective though I’m sure many of the lessons learned can apply to other fields as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"estimate](\"\/\/everhour.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/estimate-route.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCase study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What to do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Evaluate your current workload & fit the most urgent tasks into your plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"plan\"](\"\/\/everhour.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/plan.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNegotiate with your lead manager if urgencies require overtime<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Change priorities to fix the critical issues first<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Review your plan to delegate some tasks to other team members<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why do people tend to underestimate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n