Is it possible to develop a project plan that is 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑?
Probably, but there's a more dangerous outcome.
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The right level of detail in your plans creates accountability.
But there's a balance.
PMI suggests documenting, assigning, and scheduling tasks that take within 8-80 hours.
That would suggest any task that takes 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲 doesn't need documented ownership, scheduling, or measurement.
That also means that any task that takes 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟎 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 needs breaking down into smaller tasks.
Here's where this rule can go wrong...
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Some tasks that take just a few minutes 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐟𝐟 that must be tracked in the plan.
Some tasks that take 30+ days have 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫, and may not need breaking down further.
Here's a task set from a wireless project plan that has both scenarios:
➡ Permit package completion - 2 days
➡ Permit package submission - 2 days
➡ Permit package approval - 30 days (> 80 hours)
➡ Permit package receipt - 5 days
➡ Permit package upload - 1 days (< 8 hours)
➡ MS: Building Permit Complete
Takeaways:
▫ The Permit Approval task may take longer than the standard 10 days, but because there are no handoffs, and the task sits with one person, this task can remain as-is
▫ The Permit Upload task might take 5 minutes to complete but is owned by a separate stakeholder. Having this tasked called out in the plan helps them stay on top of it.
Don't be afraid of extreme detail in your plans. What gets measured gets done!
