Small change: everything will take longer than you think

One of the golden rules of business is that every organisation overestimates what it can do in a month, and underestimates what it can do in a year. The reasons for this are legion, and include optimism bias, a failure to think systemically, and working cultures where ‘no’ can be the hardest word.

Embracing the fact that everything will take longer than you think is the opposite of defeatism. It primes you to think properly about what a successful initiative will require, set reasonable expectations, and manage your and everyone else’s energy levels while getting on with the work.

The alternative? As we always say: you think you haven’t got the time to do the job properly, but you have got three times as long to clean up the s*** that inevitably starts flying when you don’t…

Something to consider: how long will my initiative really take to get done — and why?

Explore more