This book is not specifically about HR, but it does provide HR workers with useful insights into practical time management and decision-making. These insights can help HR professionals humanise the workplace by improving planning procedures and creating a more productive culture.

Time Management Insights

Predicting the time required for projects and tasks is notoriously difficult, leading to frequent underestimations that can jeopardise outcomes. Research indicates that individuals often struggle to provide accurate time estimates due to cognitive biases and uncertainties. Time Predictions illuminates these challenges and provides practical strategies for making more realistic time predictions, making it essential reading for anyone involved in project management or decision-making. This book distils extensive research on time prediction biases and judgement errors, summarising evidence supporting various methods for improving accuracy in time estimation.

Halkjelsvik and Jørgensen excel in bridging the gap between theory and practice, offering practical advice that can empower HR professionals to approach time management more strategically. The book explains why traditional methods often fall short and introduces alternative approaches, equipping readers with tools to improve their forecasting abilities. HR leaders can apply these insights to enhance project planning, facilitate better communication within teams, and cultivate a culture of accountability, ultimately leading to more humane and effective workplace practices.

While the book is thorough and insightful, it may be too technical for readers seeking straightforward, actionable HR strategies. However, I tried to look for flaws and found none. Those not interested in the intricacies of project management may find it less relevant, while HR professionals and organisational leaders will appreciate the practical guidance on time estimation and decision-making.

This book reminds me of Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, as both works explore cognitive biases and decision-making processes that impact our judgements. Just as Kahneman dissects the complexities of human thought and the factors influencing our choices, Time Predictions looks into the intricacies of time estimation and the psychological barriers that lead to inaccuracies, providing a comprehensive understanding of how our minds work in uncertain situations.

Time Predictions offers a compelling exploration of how we can better understand time management, painting a vivid picture of how realistic planning can humanise our work environments and foster a more supportive culture.

About the Authors

Torleif Halkjelsvik works as a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo. His research focuses on judgement and decision-making, attitudes, motivation, and addictions. He has a background in social psychology and is interested in the determinants of people’s behaviours and decisions in various contexts. Magne Jørgensen is a chief research scientist at Simula Research Laboratory and a professor of informatics at the University of Oslo. His expertise lies in project management, time and cost predictions, and decision-making under uncertainty. He received the ACM Sigsoft award in 2014 for the most influential paper in the last ten years regarding evidence-based software engineering. Jørgensen has practical experience in time predictions as a project manager and has advised software companies for over fifteen years.

Join the Conversation: Your Thoughts on Time Management

We’d love to hear your insights! Share your thoughts on how time management can humanise HR in the comments below.

• How do you think better time predictions can enhance team dynamics in your organisation?
• What challenges have you faced in making realistic time estimates for projects?
• How can HR leaders leverage the insights from this book to foster a more supportive workplace culture?