Estimating durations

Estimating durations is more of an art form than a science. Some people are good at it and others, well, not so much. Most estimates are either too much or not enough, and that is because time is a concept. You will have the over (achiever) estimates and the under (always late) estimates. Perfect timing is tough to attain, so we have to use a multitude of different techniques to get a duration estimate that is realistic for each activity. Permit me a sidebar here though because dates, duration, and effort are three different things that affect your project schedule equally. These concepts and sequencing activities can drive a project manager to hurling their computer out a window. Let's start with dates.

Dates

We all use calendars – they are how we maintain our day-to-day lives. A calendar shows the dates and the days and anything that is scheduled for us to do. Most organizations run on a Monday through Friday schedule. I say most because that...