A one-hour task took up three hours.
Writing the report itself took the expected hour.
But the work began at 9 a.m. and the report was not sent until noon.
Finding source material, requesting missing figures, and applying review feedback took the other two hours. None of those steps could simply be skipped.
Should the same task still be scheduled for one hour next time?
The Two Hours Around the Writing
Break a hypothetical report task into its actual steps.
- 09:00–09:20 · Find the source material
- 09:20–09:50 · Request missing data and wait for a reply
- 09:50–10:50 · Write the report
- 10:50–11:30 · Apply review feedback
- 11:30–12:00 · Verify figures, convert the file, and send it
The schedule included only ‘Write report · 1 hour.’ The writing estimate was right, but preparation, revision, and final checks were missing.
The task used two and a half hours of hands-on work and half an hour of waiting. From start to delivery, it occupied three hours.
If you work on something else while waiting, that half hour is not entirely lost.
Even so, the report still cannot be completed and sent before noon.
How the Planning Fallacy Hides Past Experience
It took this long last time too. This time should be faster.
Even with past experience, it is easy to repeat the same estimate.
The data seems likely to be ready this time, and the revisions seem likely to be lighter.
Studies of the ‘planning fallacy’ in psychology have observed that when people anticipate completion times, they tend to focus on scenarios in which things will go well in the future rather than on relevant past experiences.
Some experiments showed that optimistic prediction bias was reduced when people were asked to link past experiences to current expectations.
Applied to work, these findings change where the estimate begins.
Before asking ‘How quickly can I do it this time?’, ask ‘What did finishing it require last time?’
Past schedules, sent emails, and short work notes provide clues. But do not count every gap between emails as hands-on work.
You may have worked on something else while waiting.
Not Every Task Needs Twice the Time
This does not mean every future report needs three hours. If the material is ready and no review is required, the task may take less time.
Improve the estimate by recording its conditions beside the task name.
- Data received, existing template, one review round
- New template, external data required, revision count unknown
Both tasks may be called reports, but they require different amounts of time.
The Time Hidden Outside the Task Name
Work that requires travel has similar hidden time. It is easy to count only the time on site and miss the trip, parking, and equipment setup. A photo shoot also includes selecting and delivering images; a quotation includes checking conditions and recalculating.
Adding this time to the schedule may make the day look less productive. In reality, the time was already being used.
When planning the next report, add preparation, review, and delivery beside the writing time. The day you thought a one-hour task took too long may have included work the schedule never showed.
ILJI TIME STORIES · 12
