Setting realistic deadlines can certainly be a challenge. Here are some tips to ensure that your team can meet their deadlines with minimal stress, no rushing, and without needing team leads to micromanage their schedules:
Break down the project into manageable tasks to estimate time accurately.
Involve your team in the estimation process—they'll give insights you might not consider.
Always factor in buffer time for unexpected delays.
Review past projects—they're gold mines for understanding how long tasks actually take versus initial estimates.
Keep stakeholders in the loop and adjust expectations as needed.
Overall, remember that setting deadlines should be about being realistic, not optimistic, to avoid stress and burnout.