STUPID QUESTIONS 101: When?

Whenever I start planning a new project, “When does this need to be finished?” is usually the first question I ask. Like any good former military officer, I prefer to use “backward planning” - starting from the due date and working back to a start date.

“When?” is one of those questions that can be painfully annoying when you're the one being asked. “When will it be done?”; "When will it be delivered?”; “When are you going to quit asking me annoying questions?”

Answering “when?” usually requires some sort of “guesstimation”...and that makes many people uncomfortable. The problem with answering “when?” is that a smart manager / customer won't let you get away with an indefinite, inexact answer. They want facts. They want specific dates. They want exact times. You can't fudge “when?”.

Answering “when?” carves your answers in stone and holds them up so anyone can measure your performance. Answering “when?” is scary...and most people will avoid it whenever possible.

Which is why the best managers don't let folks get away with nebulous answers. They also, however, understand that most times the best answer that can be given is an estimate and they will understand (and plan for) some fluctuations.

So next time you ask “When?”, remember two things: first, get a specific, exact answer and second, understand that not every exact answer is going to be accurate.


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Need help figuring out when? Leave a comment here or e-mail me at: TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com.