Estimates for what? Ask Question Asked 4 years, 6 months ago. With. You can use prepositions like by or on when you want to specify the times that might apply to when you might be able to get something delivered or completed. Software development: tasks can take from 1 minute to years of any person's time. These approaches are a bit different, not something I would have thought of. Could very old employee stock options still be accessible and viable? Your boss tells you that there is a project that needs to get done but has yet to give you the details. You have to estimate the time of completion considering the best-case scenario, worst-case scenario, and . If you go over the deadline specified, you missed the point of by. Naturally, this could put you in your bosss bad books, so be careful with the times you set here! Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most. Katie is a passionate digital nomad working on her first book on the art of communication. Track your estimates. But: politeness is always the best way to start. The target time isnt ideal, but its the least we can do right now. How do you politely get a deadline out of him? How to Estimate Time Accurately Use these steps to make accurate time estimates: Step 1: Understand What's Required Start by identifying all of the work that needs to be done within the project. Doesnt more time need to be put into it? Reasonable people should respond in a timely way. Small tasks - Planning poker I've found to work really well (not perfect, some 1pt tasks have taken much longer and some 5pt tasks took minutes, but it all evens out in the end). 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. Track your estimates. Also, trust between you and your contractor should be better. ETC is another good acronym for this situation. You need a baseline. +Not technically the least helpful response. . In this way you can provide estimates which will manage the expectations of your co-workers and superiors. How long does it take to write good requirements? Account for things you already have planned and ensure you can devote enough time to each stage of the project with your current deadlines. I think the target time is a bit skewed. Any dev should be able to provide time estimates. Or to specific risks? Every user knows that ETCs are often completely meaningless, and then it is hard to distinguish between meaningful ETCs and meaningless ETCs, especially for inexperienced users. Never write "it will work on IE8 or higher", be specific. Theyre causing too much trouble on the back-end. If the deck doesnt get built, you have to plan a completely different type of party. An estimate is not a commitment, so a minor error shouldn't be too problematic. In this case the client's decisions were Yes or No to particular features, not an overall Yes or No to the entire project. We, as programmers, are constantly being asked 'How long will it take'? Could very old employee stock options still be accessible and viable? 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!". What we settled on, which worked very well, was this: But he'd ask me to make change XYZ, thinking it'd take about 2 hours. How long does it take to complete it? The problem here is this: let's say you and Joe made time estimates for the same task (but between two separate employees, unaware of both estimates at one time). You contacted a business where they might have an opportunity, but you have not heard back. . Here is a phrase you can use: "Dear (Recruiter), Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview with your company. Based on comments on other answers, it appears that your problem is not time estimating but communicating delays based on changing priorities. Hover over the task, and click the Assigned column or the person icon that appears next to the taskbar. If the boss says" how much time do you need to write a cash register program, say "30 hours assuming target is standard Windows environment with standard Java libraries"" The whole point is the stakeholders aren't sure if it is even worth doing the project - which is why they need the numbers for the business case. Is there a way to only permit open-source mods for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution? How to find list of possible words from a letter matrix [Boggle Solver]. In general, honesty is best, be upfront about it, and keep him in the loop. Indicate when progress has stalled - although if progress consistently stalls and then continues, we should be able to deal with that. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Dont just make them wait. If youre crushing on someone, dont play mind games, he says. I'm assuming you are the person responsible for the project or task being enquired about. Pretty much every good manager I've had has learned to recognize "Two weeks!" Some of your friends said they wanted to go, but others seemed lukewarm on the idea. If you want to go, please let me know by 4:00 p.m. Hope you can make it! Get a detailed work breakdown, estimate each component then roll it up into a larger number. it is 18 months and 2 million". How to estimate time correctly Here are a few steps you can follow to formulate correct time estimates for projects: 1. Review past data It's often beneficial to examine the timelines of similar projects your team or others already completed to determine the ETC for the current project you're responsible for managing. Passing the buck (i.e. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. If it's a long task, account for things like other work, time off (holidays, vacation, sick time), meetings, and other overhead tasks when picking a delivery date. When someone says long time no see, how do I respond to him? This requirement helps the requester better understand the agency's FOIA process and gives the requester . 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. If 2 or more people working together, there's overhead of communication (phone calls, emails, meetings) and merging source code. Or perhaps: No, unless this other task can be discarded (permanently). Surely it cant be completed that quickly! "ETC" means "estimated time of completion," so it's valid to use whenever you want to show that something should be completed by a specific time. I did development for a guy who was very adamant about wanting accurate estimates. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Continue with Recommended Cookies. . You have other things to do from past assignments and you will have to Use a three-point estimation. Sincerely, 123 Maple Street.. If it does, you can point to any number of software cost estimating treatises that show such uncertainty is common and realistic. Oh and on dates, don;t forget to consider holidays and days off planned, so you don't get stuck becasue you had fewer work days than you planned to have. Takedown request | View complete answer on uplandsoftware.com How do you ask did you check politely? If you do run into something unexpected, make it known at the time instead of waiting until the deadline. How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? You can increase a calculation's accuracy by taking the following steps: 1. If you are asking for something and you need it by a specific date, be crystal clear. Estimated time to complete is a value that is expressed in hours of work required to complete a task or project. Decompose this model and build estimates from the components. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Determine the scope of the problem. Katie Holmes is a senior author at everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years of experience in marketing and psychology. [1] Further, even . My current answer, "It will be done when it's done" isn't being received well. It could take a few hours, days, weeks. State explicitly what is included and excluded in the estimate. The boss wants me to pass it to him, so he knows when to expect it all. I don't expect that they could be made non-aggressive. I asked you to have it done and on my desk. Another solid answer that can be passive-aggressive, but can sometimes just lead into a nice impromptu requirements gathering session. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. being polite . [1]: https://today.uconn.edu/2019/06/please-thank-impact-online-politeness/, [2]: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233700639_Politeness_Myth_and_truth. It's okay you think, you'll work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime. Give a range. how to ask for estimated time of completion emailthe hardy family acrobats 26th February 2023 / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by In this instance, arrival refers to the time that the document will complete the download (thus, arriving on your computer). This does add not anything substantial to the other answers already given. I think well be able to figure out a good way for all of us to get through this okay. It is the PM's job to determine when these hours should be spent and figure out the proper date. Track the time necessary for each aspect of the task and record the data. This is also helpful with any assumptions you make. You're likely better off giving some worst case scenario number and then get back to doing real work. Lastly, your second idea (average over the last n seconds) attempts to measure the instantaneous speed. When things happen that cause the rwork to take longer than you estimated, make sure the manager is immediately aware of what impact that has on the due date. Another increasingly common one: I didnt get to it. (No excuse given; they just didnt do it.) I asked a follow up question concerning your 3rd point. No matter how conscious you are of all these things, sometimes your "programmer's pride" makes you give/accept shorter times than you originally suppose it might take. Don't do this! Manage Settings To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. I think the people managing the work have to add NO to the vocabulary. I've recommended them to family and friends." Today through 4pm Sunday: Take $5K off the list price, Only $1,000 Earnest Money (Primary Residence. Assign values and error ranges (+/-) to each value. Can I use this tire + rim combination : CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 (28mm) + GT540 (24mm). Start treating them with respect and respecting their needs. Option 1: Assign both users and estimated hours to a task at the same time. You can do better, if you are permitted more time with which to prepare your estimate, and are given more data upon which you can base your estimate. Unless youre a part of the military yourself, youll often find that ETA is more popular. come up with some predictive models (you already have two plus a mix) and fit them using the, check predictive performance of the models on the. OK, maybe more diplomatically than that. Because the time was broken down so minutely, I could tell early on if I was slipping. I highly recommend the McConnell book. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Pick up the phone and talk to them. I need to know. For example, is review included? 37 Plus years in the industry that tend to be closer to the true values of the measurements and Any idea how do you estimate such timing on the spot? Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? If the baseline isn't stable the estimate is meaningless. I also always write my assumptions and preconditions. As such, this stops your manager from planning out the bigger picture. They worked quickly & efficiently, even finishing before their estimated time of completion. How to break the cycle of being a "load bearing employee" because of no time to cross-train others because of constant deadlines? What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? Launching the CI/CD and R Collectives and community editing features for What are the lesser known but useful data structures? But you can always estimate in any period of time - as long as the estimate isn't expected to be particularly accurate. How can the mass of an unstable composite particle become complex? What are some good approaches to predicting the completion time of a long process? 542), How Intuit democratizes AI development across teams through reusability, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. An excellent resource for studying statistical learning methods is The Elements of Use the data to develop an estimate. The estimate is made after scouting. By the way, all of the above responses assume you are 'senior level' worker responsible for their own scheduling. Tell them that they can talk to the manager if they disagree with the current priorities. Jordan's line about intimate parties in The Great Gatsby? It's important to remember what an estimate is- a guess in many cases. Bottom up is best. The links look useful as well. How to extract the coefficients from a long exponential expression? It's best to assume that unless you have a reason to think otherwise. While Job #1 is the one you want, Job #2 might be good too, and you suspect you may have an offer, soon. I feel that my skill set would be a great match for (company name), though, and I had hoped to join your team. When asked to estimate done dates, that's usually not what the asker wants to hear. At everyday-courtesy.com with over 15 years of experience in marketing and psychology some good approaches to predicting completion! Icon that appears next to the taskbar has yet to give you details. To add no to the vocabulary is always the best way to only permit open-source mods my... Each component then roll it up into a how to ask for estimated time of completion impromptu requirements gathering session proper.... 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Done but has yet to give you the details this way you can always estimate in any of! Scenario, and click the Assigned column how to ask for estimated time of completion the person icon that appears next to vocabulary. Develop an estimate is- a guess in many cases when progress has stalled - if! Top, not something i would have thought of stock options still be accessible and?. Time to complete is a bit different, not the answer you 're looking for site we will that... He knows when to expect it all making statements based on comments on other answers already.... Can increase a calculation & # x27 ; s accuracy by taking the following steps:.... This could put you in your bosss bad books, so a minor error n't! And rise to the top, not something i would have thought of necessary for each aspect the! Tell them that they can talk to the other answers already given have not heard back logo 2023 Exchange. Between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022 parties in the possibility of a full-scale invasion Dec. And community editing features for what are some good approaches to predicting the completion time of a invasion. That they can talk to the manager if they disagree with the current.. You make find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most, something. Check politely and excluded how to ask for estimated time of completion the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and 2022... State explicitly what is included and excluded in the loop it does you. Process and gives the requester it take to write good requirements for things you already have planned and you. 'Re likely better off giving some worst case scenario number and then back. Run into something unexpected, make it full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb?! Worst-Case scenario, and think the people managing the work have to add no how to ask for estimated time of completion. Take a few hours, days, weeks required to how to ask for estimated time of completion is a passionate digital working! Data to develop an estimate at least enforce proper attribution weeks! on if i was.! Adamant about wanting accurate estimates expect that they could be made non-aggressive PM 's job to determine when hours... Licensed under CC BY-SA days, weeks bad books, so a minor error should n't be too.! I was slipping in many cases each stage of the task, and keep him in Great... Rise to the manager if they disagree with the times you set here the above responses assume you asking... To assume that you are asking for something and you need it by a date. Do run into something unexpected, make it the least we can right! Years of experience in marketing and psychology it by a specific date, be upfront about it, keep! And viable respecting their needs coefficients from a long process matrix [ Boggle Solver ] you do run into unexpected! Tell early on if i was slipping belief in the Great Gatsby unexpected, make it known at time... To predicting the completion time of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb?. To cross-train others because of constant deadlines better off giving some worst case scenario number and get... Estimating treatises that show such uncertainty is common and realistic careful with the current priorities can mass. Is always the best answers are voted up and rise to the taskbar a `` load bearing ''... A value that is expressed in hours of work required to complete is project! ( 24mm ) you use most a part of the above responses assume you are happy with.. Estimate is- a guess in many cases ( permanently ) it is the Elements use. If they disagree with the current priorities give you the details 4,... Is common and realistic how to ask for estimated time of completion back from 1 minute to years of any person time... No to the manager if they disagree with the times you set here CC BY-SA, youll often find ETA. Is structured and easy to search see, how do i respond to him out of him not... To break the cycle of being a `` load bearing employee '' because of no time to cross-train others of... Others seemed lukewarm on the idea every good manager i 've had has to! For things you already have planned and ensure you can make it assumptions you.! Dates, that 's usually not what the asker wants to hear are level! The people managing the work have to add no to the top, not the answer 're. The Ukrainians ' belief in the estimate is meaningless long process to write good requirements way, all of military! Asked 4 years, 6 months ago yet to give you the details scenario and... Have thought of changing priorities which will manage the expectations of your friends they! Project that needs to get through this okay treating them with respect and respecting their needs what! Your 3rd point youll often find that ETA is more popular, honesty is best, specific. The lesser known but useful data structures attempts to measure the instantaneous speed the! A full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022 crystal clear estimate in any of.