Karin LeungI.T. Advisor| BCHydroBurnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Have you encountered situations where team leads are reluctant to give you an estimate (even after telling them tolerance level of x%... etc)? Sometimes it takes them forever, extending beyond given timelines. Any tips on how to effectively make this happen? Saving Changes...
Yes. years ago I suffered this situation. After I've realized that was my problem, I didn't communicate properly with the team leader.
Now, no issues.
Good luck! Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Good question. I’ve found that people are often reluctant to give estimates because they fear they’ll be punished if their estimates are inaccurate. When people are hesitant to give me estimates I reassure them that the estimate is for planning purposes, that they won’t get in trouble if the task exceeds the estimate not precise, and that we’ll adjust the schedule depending on the amount of time the task actually takes. That usually puts people at ease. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
You have to obtaine the estimation. If that is a component of a schedule then you have to record and issue and present it to the forum that is accountable for helping you with this type of things. Before to do that all related to work dynamic must be clear with all the participants that could be or could not be project stakeholders depending on the phase inside your project life cycle you are working on. But in my case before everything start to avoid this type of things I make a stakeholder analysis to understand my stakeholders and performing actions to avoid that. Somebody must sell the initiative from the very begining. Usually is a business analyst responsability. Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Resource managers may take more time to estimate because :-
They are unclear of the scope of the project
They may have a resource constraint and may need to secure more resources from outside
Like Eric Simms said, they are afraid of being put on the spot for an incorrect estimate
The effective way to encourage team leaders to give an informed estimate is to give them comprehensive information regarding the project.
In my personal experience, I have had a kick off meeting with all resource managers using power point presentation on the scope, deliverable, Business Case, time frames ..Basically a gist of what the project covers.
I then encourage questions from them and come back with responses which helps them refine their estimates.
As the project progresses , I keep them informed of the progress so they can adjust their estimates and I become aware of a resource cost blow out. Saving Changes...
