Day 18: Time Estimation and Soft Skills for Accurate Scheduling ????

Welcome back! Today, we’re diving into how to build a project schedule using time estimation, effort estimation, and capacity planning. At the center of all this? Your team! ?????? Getting accurate estimates from teammates is key to effective planning. You need to balance high-level project goals with the reality of team capacity, and your soft skills will be your best ally in getting the right information.

Why Involve Your Team?

Your team knows their tasks best. By involving them in time estimation, they can give you realistic timelines and tell you how much work they can handle. But getting these estimates is a two-way street. You’ll need to communicate effectively and ask the right questions to gather the most accurate information.

1. Ask the Right Questions ???

Time estimation is like interviewing your team members. Ask open-ended questions to get more than a yes/no answer. For example, instead of saying, “Can you finish this in one week?”, ask “How long does it typically take to complete a task like this?”.

• Open-ended questions give you insights into their working style and potential obstacles.
• Follow-up with specifics like, “What risks could affect the timeline?”

By asking these questions, you’ll gather more valuable information about their capacity and working process, helping you build a more realistic project plan.

2. Negotiate Effectively ??

You may find that some team members have competing priorities. Part of your role as a project manager is to bridge the gap between their day-to-day tasks and the project’s high-level goals.

• If someone’s estimate doesn’t fit the project timeline, negotiate!
• Ask if they can share progress on a portion of the work earlier, or if they can break the task into smaller parts to meet an earlier deadline.

Effective negotiation allows you to create a shared ownership of the project timeline without overwhelming your team.

3. Practice Empathy ??

Your team members are human, and empathy goes a long way in building trust and getting the most honest estimates. Ask about their other commitments and work-life balance.

• Are there vacations or holidays they’ll be unavailable for?
• Are they working on other projects that might affect their time?

Understanding their workload helps avoid overloading them, and it ensures you get realistic timelines. Showing appreciation for their efforts builds strong relationships and creates a collaborative environment.

Remember, planning isn’t just about schedules, it’s about communication and collaboration. Up next, we’ll put these estimates to good use in our project plan! ??