Project Management Tip 2

The key time for projects is at the start - don't agree to a project that is going to be impossible - opting for an easy time now will mean a hard time later, so be assertive at the start.

Back up your position with a plan showing what all the tasks are (a Work Breakdown Structure) and how long they will take (a network diagram showing the critical path).

Most customers will either back down because your information looks so professional, or struggle to argue because of the logic of your position.

You can ask them "which tasks do you want me to miss out?" or "which time estimates do you feel are incorrect?"

Most projects take longer than people realise because they haven't thought properly about all the tasks involved, and how each one depends on others being done before it.