No More Secret Safety
Padding every task with extra time doesn't make projects safer; it invites procrastination and polishing. Hidden safety gets eaten. Pooled buffers fix the problem.
// LYRICS
[Verse 1] I said ten days Though five might do My boss said twelve To be safe too We built a schedule Soft and wide Then watched the safety Disappear inside [Chorus] No more secret safety Stuffed in every date Hidden safety gets eaten When everybody waits No more secret safety Let the project see Put the cushion in the open Where the team can keep it free [Verse 2 — Student Syndrome] If I have till Friday I start it Wednesday night I tell myself I'm careful I tell myself it's fine The safety looked protective But it never had a chance Late starts ate the cushion Before the work advanced [Verse 3 — Parkinson's Law] If I finish early I do not say it out loud I polish every corner Till the due date comes around The work fills up the timebox The estimate becomes the floor Then next time we pad bigger And the project takes more [Bridge] A task date is not a promise A guess is not a vow Protect the whole delivery Not every little how Take the safety from the shadows Put it where the team can see A shared buffer saves the project Hidden padding runs free [Final Chorus] No more secret safety Stuffed in every date Shared protection saves the project Hidden safety gets eaten No more secret safety Let the project see Put the cushion in the open Where the team can keep it free