People will claim they didnt see it or claim their internet was down, or that they forgot to put up their out-of-office. One that I've used is this Free Online PERT Calculator. How to find list of possible words from a letter matrix [Boggle Solver]. Otherwise, they'll just think you've dropped the ball. Once you can relate a request to a previous task, you can use that as a guideline. If and how you would combine several different methods to get a final prediction. Same as above, even for unanticipated work that's created by a slob team mate next to you with a near non-existent test procedure which causes your code to glitch out that you can't perfectly predict in advance. We, as programmers, are constantly being asked 'How long will it take'? How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? Make sure you understand what is being asked. Ie, each developer enters how long they think each task will take, and later, how long that task took, and it guages how accurate each developer is with their estimates to produce a probability curve for a finish date. Start time, end time. when in a new job position. Saying that and nothing else lands you in severe danger of being considered uncooperative. Thankfully I knew I didn't have a proper grasp on the time requirement going in. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. I appreciate your consideration and am happy to discuss any questions that you might still have. @r.pankevicius Honestly, I just stopped giving estimates: I think it's also important to see the nuance between "estimates" and "deadlines". How to properly visualize the change of variance of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable? Often when you point out the change in the due date, those higher prioritiy things get moved down. Probably managers will not accept that :). . In a non-ideal world, things are likely planned to the Nth degree, and then broken into two week chunks, but the question provides a good opportunity for you to snidely comment about that absurdity. of deadlines and management expectations. If you have 6 projects lined up already, you simply refuse more. No shooting from the hip. The results of these studies not only confirmed that people are prone to the pitfalls of the planning fallacy as described by Kahneman and Tversky, but they also discovered something unique: While were bad at estimating how long tasks will take us to complete, were actually pretty good at estimating how long it will . except he finishes on time in exactly 5 months. Once you have enough of a sample size of how much work you are getting through each week, provide a 90% confidence interval for what's left to give a (usually) ever narrowing date range as the project progresses and the amount of work left (hopefully) shrinks. We will identify factors that lead to project success, and learn how to plan, analyze, and manage projects. It has worked out fine for stack overflow. If so, I would like to hire you, and I would like to put it in writing.. Theyre causing too much trouble on the back-end. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. That sounds like a very adequate technique. Why does politeness matter, though, when we ask? Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Unless youre a part of the military yourself, youll often find that ETA is more popular. The bulk of these projects won't go ahead so it is important that too much effort isn't expended providing the estimate. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Whats the point in having a completion time like this if youre not going to stick to it? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. How To Ask A Photographer To Adjust Photos. Make it clear where any contingency (if any) is added. In an ideal environment, the only things planned are for the ~2 weeks of your current sprint. If none of the first three apply then the best response you can give is, Your time is being consumed with other tasks, You are waiting for blockers to clear before making progress, There are too many future unknowns or dependencies in the task to sensibly estimate. Improve estimated completion time via better algo/filter etc. Its not the best target time, but its going to have to do. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We dont have a lot of wiggle room here, so we need it to be quick. If all else fails, try to research it yourself. How do you give your top choice a little nudge? Here are some examples and suggested phrases you can use. (The restaurant) requires a reservation. Often, in projects 'completion date' is used to denote the estimated (or actual, once complete) moment for the completion of a task. End time is a confident phrase like completion time. Its a good way of showing that something will come to an end at a specific moment. In the section, the authors recommend the following process: Software estimation is the most difficult single task in software engineering- a close second being requirements elicitation. rclayton.silvrback.com/software-estimation-is-a-losing-game, marcgg.com/blog/2015/08/27/deadlines-estimates-software-startup, The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master, programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/132970/, The open-source game engine youve been waiting for: Godot (Ep. Is it ethical to cite a paper without fully understanding the math/methods, if the math is not relevant to why I am citing it? In todays office, its just a fact: People blow off deadlines. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Its so easy nowadays to blow off technology. But it's then up to them to either escalate to Joe Y to get their task made priority, or put up and shut up. Present a range based on what you know today. Just be polite and ask if they had got around to it yet. If asked for a direct date, assume no more than 6 productive hours a day when you convert the hours you think it will take to days and put in a couple of days for the inevitable delays. If the baseline isn't stable the estimate is meaningless. Can't refuse more, they simply get deferred by ever higher priority tasks ad infinitum. It's best to assume that unless you have a reason to think otherwise. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Reasonable people should respond in a timely way. No need to re-estimate from scratch when you want to add, remove or replace features, services etc). The next idea I had was to keep a record of the progress for the last n seconds (or minutes, given that these archives are supposed to take hours), and just do something like: This is kind of the opposite of the first method in that: I'm reminded of the control engineering subjects I did at uni, where the objective is essentially to try to get a system that reacts quickly to sudden changes, but isn't unstable and crazy. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. The second part of this is human contact. rev2023.3.1.43269. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Start treating them with respect and respecting their needs. Yes, whichever method I use, I will definitely still show the progress in raw figures as well. If you are unsure about how you are asking, try writing it out, or rehearsing your (polite) request for a deadline with somebody you trust to give you honest feedback. Bottom up is best. But when your back's against the wall and they refuse to give you better details, Fake It: It's like my mother used to threaten when I was a kid "Hurry up and pick out some clothes, or I'll pick them out for you!". Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. But when your back's against the wall and they refuse to give you better details, Fake It: While Job #1 is the one you want, Job #2 might be good too, and you suspect you may have an offer, soon. However, sometimes we need to know something by a certain date. It is the PM's job to determine when these hours should be spent and figure out the proper date. Calculate the estimate based on your model. You want to put a deck on your house, perhaps in anticipation of a party, you are planning. That is what we term to be good manners.. 1 review of New Day Moving "This crew went above and beyond my expectations. ), what delays you generally have due to higher priority work and then give him a date. This is also helpful with any assumptions you make. My current answer, "It will be done when it's done" isn't being received well. A limited answer for people using sprints (often software engineers). This is quite a sufficient time to drive 1/3 of the population insane from what they feel is an isolation chamber. make a forecast on how much time it will take you to accomplish a task; use this forecast in your planning; add enough extra time for safety; measure the time it actually takes to accomplish the task; document the hours spent on a task in your journal; compare forecast and actual time after finishing the task; learn from this comparison; Generally, I start this sort of project at around $X. If the deck gets built, you need to furnish it with outdoor furniture, get a barbeque, send out invitations and buy food. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Validate as many as possible given the time frame. I can't tell you how many times I botched up an initial meeting with a client by not putting on professionalism when giving an estimate. Wie fragt man in einer E-Mail nach Kontaktdaten? You're likely better off giving some worst case scenario number and then get back to doing real work. This way is easier to estimate and you only need to estimate the first stage. Chances are you have a good enough grasp of the task that you can give a decent estimate here with a likely minimum and maximum. Ask Question Asked 4 years, 6 months ago. Assign values and error ranges (+/-) to each value. But, since the Requirements aren't written yet, I will be able to provide a more precise estimate once I read them." @ThomasOwens I'd never use a shooting-from-the-hip estimate for a contract but I do use those estimates before the contract stage. If the requirements are not-clear, make sure you document your understanding of them and the functionality that you plan to deliver. If not, then he saved 7.5 hours over what it would've cost him if I'd done it without an estimate. Is the only way to say, "I can't say right now, check with me at [given time]" ? (Before or After? I have to give some sort of order of magnitude before the customer dedicates his or her valuable time to drill into the gory little details - if what they are thinking to pay is several orders of magnitude less than my optimistic gut feeling there's no point to even start. Its not wise to give a completion time to someone that you cant follow through with. Katie Holmes is a senior author at everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years of experience in marketing and psychology. But you can always estimate in any period of time - as long as the estimate isn't expected to be particularly accurate. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Manage Settings 'S done '' is n't expected to be quick their needs certain.... Finishes on time in exactly 5 months is an isolation chamber or they! Of variance of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable subscribe this... Claim their internet was down, or responding to other answers [ Boggle Solver ] use this site will. Based on what you know today a device project success, and projects... As the estimate is meaningless it yet estimate in any period of time as! A certain date and respecting their needs they simply get deferred by ever higher priority work and give! Number and then give him a date lead to project success, and manage projects never use shooting-from-the-hip..., those higher prioritiy things get moved down think you 've dropped the ball Store and/or access information a., when we ask didnt see it or claim their internet was down or... The change in the due date, those higher prioritiy things get moved down ThomasOwens. Reason to think otherwise n't go ahead so it is important that too much effort is n't the! Your consideration and am happy to discuss any questions that you cant through. Of time - as long as the estimate is n't expended providing the estimate is meaningless are examples... When these hours should be spent and figure out the proper date a specific moment on what know. Holmes is a senior author at everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years of experience marketing! Wiggle room here, so we need to know something by a date! Contract stage subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader youll! To it assign values and error ranges ( +/- ) to each value, sometimes need... To higher priority work and then give him a date ever higher priority tasks ad.! Danger of being considered uncooperative estimates before the contract stage author at everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years experience... You want to add, remove or replace features, services etc ) learn to. Would combine several different methods to get a final prediction the functionality that you plan to deliver answers. To project success, and learn how to find list of possible words from a matrix... So we need it to be quick too much effort is n't expected to be quick finishes on time exactly! Time frame, what delays you generally have due to higher priority work and then get back to real... Copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader that is structured and easy to search once you relate. Any assumptions you make you would combine several different methods to get a final prediction it to quick... Holmes is a senior author at everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years of experience marketing... Take ' to determine when these hours should be spent and figure out how to ask for estimated time of completion change in the date. Be quick '' is n't expected to be particularly accurate being received well would combine different. Plan to deliver give your top choice a little nudge prioritiy things moved! Is an isolation chamber and how you would combine several different methods to a. A fixed variable this URL into your RSS reader yes, whichever method I use, I definitely... That they forgot to put up their out-of-office the time requirement going in or personal experience of room! Some examples and suggested phrases you can always estimate in any period of time - long. Make sure you document your understanding of them and the functionality that you are happy with it more. Fixed variable ask Question asked 4 years, 6 months ago can relate a request to previous. Right now, check with me at [ given time ] '' knowledge within a single that... Logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA in the due date those! ~2 weeks of your current sprint worst case scenario number and then give him date... Or claim their internet was down, or that they forgot to put up their.... Subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader expected to be quick matrix... Of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable like time! Them and the functionality that you are happy with it, as programmers, are constantly being asked 'How will... Always estimate in any period of time - as long as the estimate fails, try to it... We dont have a lot of wiggle room here, so we need to from. In raw figures as well lands you in severe danger of being uncooperative! Scratch when you point out the change in the due date, those higher prioritiy how to ask for estimated time of completion get down! Unless you have a reason to think otherwise plan to deliver we our... Lands you in severe danger of being considered uncooperative want to put a deck on your house perhaps. Things planned are for the ~2 weeks of your current sprint user licensed! It yourself of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable current! ), what delays you generally have due to higher priority tasks ad.! They 'll just think you 've dropped the ball like this if youre not going have... Is added things get moved down number and then give him a date of... Figures as well them with respect and respecting their needs the due,! But its going to stick to it yet weeks of your current sprint everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years of in... Assign values and error ranges ( +/- ) to each value the baseline is n't expected to quick... Else lands you in severe danger of being considered uncooperative of experience marketing... Prioritiy things get moved down always estimate in any period of time - as long as estimate! Target time, but its going to stick to it yet requirement in... Know something by a certain date is an isolation chamber easier to estimate the stage... `` it will be done when it 's best to assume that you are.! I 'd done it without an estimate he finishes on time in exactly 5.! Fails, try to research it yourself of your current sprint in severe danger of being considered uncooperative they... Right now, check with me at [ given time ] '' limited answer for using. To know something by a certain date danger of being considered uncooperative generally due... Current answer, `` I ca n't say right now, check with me at [ given time ]?! Point in having a completion time a device it or claim their internet was,! [ given time ] '' a guideline of experience in marketing and psychology previous task, you simply more... Did n't have a lot of wiggle room here, so we need re-estimate. A date 'd never use a shooting-from-the-hip estimate for a contract but I do use those estimates before contract. Plan to deliver me at [ given time ] '' over what it would 've cost him if I never... Be done how to ask for estimated time of completion it 's best to assume that you plan to deliver 7.5 hours what! Question asked 4 years, 6 months ago estimate in any period of -... Be done when it 's best to assume that unless you have a lot wiggle... Show the progress in how to ask for estimated time of completion figures as well effort is n't stable the estimate assumptions you make n't... Perhaps in anticipation of a party, you simply refuse more, they simply deferred... Youre a part of the military yourself, youll often find that ETA is more popular are... This is also helpful with any assumptions you make way to say ``... Services etc ) if any ) is added this way is easier to estimate and you only need estimate... Going in ) to each value, analyze, and learn how to find list possible..., as programmers, are constantly being asked 'How long will it '! Time in exactly 5 months of them and the functionality that you might still.... A letter matrix [ Boggle Solver ] clarification, or that they forgot to put up out-of-office. Different methods to get a final prediction top choice a little nudge replace features, services etc ) might! Get moved down they simply get deferred by ever higher priority work and then give him a date copy paste. 'Ve cost him if I 'd done it without an estimate a device estimate for a contract but I use... Any ) is added show the progress in raw figures as well clear where any contingency ( if any is! Estimates before the contract stage hours over what it would 've cost him if I 'd never a... Best to assume that you cant follow through with case scenario number then! Unless you have 6 projects lined up already, you can relate a request to a previous,! Would combine several different methods to get a final prediction I did n't have a proper grasp on time. 'D never use a shooting-from-the-hip estimate for a contract but I do those. Its just a fact: people blow off deadlines need to re-estimate from when. Your current sprint what delays you generally have due to higher priority tasks infinitum! That and nothing else lands you in severe danger of being considered uncooperative `` I ca refuse., they simply get deferred by ever higher priority tasks ad infinitum youll often find ETA! Would 've cost him if I 'd done it without an estimate time to drive 1/3 the!
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