---
id:
aliases: []
tags:
  - topic/estimating
  - topic/organization
  - type/philosophy
---
# Estimating Culture

The nature of relationships between [[construction-estimating|estimators]]
and between estimators and adjacent professions,
is a difficult concept to navigate
for an estimator who is purely interested in improving their skills.

## Transparency

Because of the persistent myth of estimate accuracy,
estimators are highly guarded of their personal processes,
because detailed analysis of these processes
would reveal that every one of us is a "bad" estimator.

## Accountability

Estimators have a reputation for causing problems others have to solve.

Because of the nature of the bid process,
estimators work on projects for a while,
and then never look at them again until trouble arises.
Because they are not expected to ever look at their work again,
they have no incentive to reveal errors
as they can simply plead ignorance if the error is discovered.

## Collaboration

Estimation is a profession ripe for productive collaboration.
With intelligent work breakdown, jobs can be cleanly segmented for work in parallel.
Estimators working in the same room can be an invaluable resource
for brainstorming ideas and beneficial conversation.

It is the failure of [[estimating-culture]]
and of [[construction-estimating-software]]
that so many estimators are wary of collaboration.

The value of a second set of eyes can not be overstated.

It can be impossible for one estimator to parse the work of another;
the strategies enjoyed by some may seem counterintuitive to others.
It is not practical to mandate a single methodology
for all estimators of a nationwide company,
nor is it wise to accept all methodologies as equally valid.

Compromising, a small group of estimators with direct communication
can be expected to develop and maintain a consistent methodology,
such that any member can independently verify the work of another.
This is best enforced with an expectation of collaboration on all projects,
even those that could be done by one person.

## Kaizen

* Be competent with every tool available to you.
* Always assume there is a better way to complete a given task.

Making estimation more efficient and enjoyable
requires a unified effort by estimators
to embrace the statistical aspects of our field.
