Why “Well-Padded” Projects Continue to Be Late¹

In the realm of project management, individuals frequently incorporate extra time into their task estimates, a practice known as “padding.” This maneuver is intended to provide a safety cushion, ensuring tasks can be accomplished with a margin of error. However, this precaution often leads to unintended and counterproductive outcomes. These missteps arise from inventive, yet occasionally self-serving approaches individuals adopt to meet deadlines confidently. This presents a paradox: given the intentionally added time in project schedules, why do delays persist? Despite accounting for individual adjustments, team supervision, and potential management reductions, projects regularly exceed their timelines. This enigma raises the question: why does this happen? The answer lies in human behavior—our ability to extend task estimates with padding is matched by inadvertently squandering the extra time once a project begins. Essentially, the flexibility meant to enhance efficiency becomes susceptible to mismanagement. This chapter delves into this phenomenon, illuminating the delay paradox despite well-intended padding. By examining relevant dynamics and psychological factors in project management, we gain insights into the mechanisms contributing to this trend of time overruns.