Knowing where you actually are.
WHY IT IS DIFFICULT
People report optimistically, and partial completion is hard to measure.
WHAT NINETY PERCENT DONE USUALLY MEANS
Unknown.
WHY
The remaining portion frequently contains the hard part.
WHAT TO TRACK INSTEAD
Tasks completed, not percentages.
WHY BINARY
A task is done or it is not, and that cannot be inflated.
WHAT THAT REQUIRES
Tasks small enough to complete within days.
WHAT ELSE TO TRACK
Whether the critical path is on time What is blocked Whether scope has changed Whether risks have materialised
WHAT TO ASK IN STATUS UPDATES
What did you finish What are you working on What is in your way Has anything changed your estimate
WHY THAT LAST QUESTION
It surfaces slippage before it becomes a delay.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT OPTIMISTIC REPORTING
Ask what remains, specifically.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH CULTURALLY
That reporting a problem early is rewarded.
WHY
Where it is punished, problems surface at the deadline.
WHAT TO AVOID
Reporting green until the week it fails.
WHAT A HONEST STATUS LOOKS LIKE
Stating what is late, by how much, and what you are doing.
WHAT TO MEASURE OVER TIME
Whether estimates are consistently optimistic.
WHAT TO DO WITH THAT
Adjust future estimates by the observed factor.
