Imagine promising a friend you'll help them move, then being unable to keep your word. A bad schedule is a bit like that: a promise you can't keep. So why promise when you can't deliver?
Why do we engage in bad schedules, and what are the dangers?
The fundamental role of the schedule
A good schedule ensures communication about what must be done, lights the path forward and, above all, validates the feasibility of our objectives. A bad schedule fails on these three axes, jeopardising the project from the start. When teams have no clear bearings, they navigate by sight, increasing the risk of mistakes.
What is a bad schedule?
A bad schedule lacks realism and sometimes honesty. It tries to satisfy expectations rather than reflect reality. Worse, it ignores technical feasibility, whether in task sequencing or in estimating workloads and durations.
The impacts of a bad schedule
A bad schedule numbs our vigilance. It prevents us from seeing problems coming and reacting in time. It's like sweeping dust under the rug: at some point it'll come back, and it might be too late to act.
Why do we make bad schedules?
First, there's often a knowledge gap. Not everyone is trained in scheduling techniques. Even though some tools look intuitive and we think we know the subject, that doesn't guarantee the ability to build a good schedule. Many find these techniques too complex or unsuited to their projects.
Then, the lack of proper tools is a brake. Using simplistic tools prevents you from using the features essential for a robust plan. A Gantt chart alone isn't necessarily a good planning tool.
Lack of time is also often invoked. Many don't take the time to plan correctly, underestimating its importance.
Finally, complexity: making a good schedule can wrongly seem too complex and sometimes unnecessary, especially when one feels comfortable in the field. That's a misjudgment — we often confuse detail with complexity. A good schedule can rely on simple techniques, without seeking excessive or inappropriate detail.
Towards flexible, effective planning
Planning must remain flexible. Rather than getting lost in pointless detail, it's better to stay broad while building a solid plan. This is far more effective than a detailed but flawed schedule. The essential is to be sincere, realistic and to accept adjustments. A good plan isn't set in stone — it evolves and adapts to the project.
What if a good schedule is an illusion?
One could object that making a good schedule is an impossible mission as long as we can't read the future. Indeed, projects almost never unfold exactly as planned. However, it's essential not to confuse a bad schedule — resulting from structural flaws (design, architecture, means used) — with a “wrong” schedule, i.e. one whose forecasts don't materialise as anticipated.
It's in the very nature of projects not to fully match forecasts. That's precisely where a good schedule shows its value: it's not about being right on everything, but about having a tool for anticipation. A good schedule lets you spot deviations and assess their impact on the rest of the project. So it serves not only to forecast but also to adjust and steer effectively given the reality on the ground.
Thus, far from being an obstacle to planning, project uncertainty reinforces the idea that making a good schedule is not only possible but absolutely necessary.