What Must Happen for Schedules to Work

The following is Scott Berkun's list on what must happen for schedules to work

• Milestone length should match project volatility.
• Be optimistic in the vision and skeptical in the schedule.
• Bet on design.
• Plan checkpoints for add/cut discussions.
• Inform the team about planning philosophy.
• Gauge the team's experience with the problem space.
• Gauge the team's confidence and experience in working together.
• Take on risks early.

Adopted from The Art of Project Management by Scott Berkun.