{
  "title": "Prioritising with realistic timelines: what research supports",
  "url": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/delais-realistes-priorisation-neuchatel-en",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2026-07-27",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "SHR — Swiss Human Resources",
    "url": "https://www.shr.swiss",
    "address": "Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy, Suisse"
  },
  "summary": "Ranking tasks is not enough when their duration is underestimated. Research suggests examining promised timelines before trying to fit more into the calendar.",
  "section": "Research",
  "topic": "Time Management & Prioritisation",
  "place": {
    "name": "Neuchâtel",
    "region": "Neuchâtel",
    "country": "CH"
  },
  "keyPoints": [
    {
      "heading": "What the literature establishes",
      "point": "Roger Buehler, Dale Griffin and Michael Ross (1994, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) show that people can underestimate their completion times while knowing that previous tasks took longer than expected."
    },
    {
      "heading": "The mechanism: taking an outside view",
      "point": "Daniel Kahneman and Dan Lovallo (1993, Management Science) distinguish an inside view, focused on the project scenario, from an outside view, based on outcomes in comparable cases."
    },
    {
      "heading": "The premature conclusion",
      "point": "One might conclude that every estimate simply needs a buffer."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What the evidence cannot guarantee",
      "point": "Studies of individual predictions do not amount to direct validation in a watchmaking workshop or a microelectronics team."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A practical check in Neuchâtel",
      "point": "As part of SHR’s “[Time Management & Prioritisation](/formation/gestion-du-temps/neuchatel)” programme, a Neuchâtel team working in microtechnology, watchmaking or precision microelectronics could trial a forecasting log over four weeks."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "authors": "Ross",
      "year": "1994",
      "source": "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"
    },
    {
      "authors": "Lovallo",
      "year": "1993",
      "source": "Management Science"
    }
  ],
  "wordCount": 383,
  "image": "https://www.shr.swiss/img/blog-editorial-2026-07-27-en.jpg?v=4",
  "translations": {
    "fr": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/delais-realistes-priorisation-neuchatel",
    "en": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/delais-realistes-priorisation-neuchatel-en",
    "de": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/delais-realistes-priorisation-neuchatel-de",
    "it": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/delais-realistes-priorisation-neuchatel-it"
  },
  "relatedPages": {
    "programme": "https://www.shr.swiss/formation/gestion-du-temps/neuchatel",
    "city": "https://www.shr.swiss/formations-ville/neuchatel",
    "blog": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog"
  },
  "citationPolicy": "Citation autorisée avec mention « SHR — Swiss Human Resources » et lien vers l'article."
}