1. At ProjectPro, we created a guideline that we call the 1%-10% rule. The duration of any lowest-level task should be between a minimum and maximum duration. The minimum duration is 1% of the project duration. The maximum is 10% of the project duration. There are some exceptions the rule. We recommend you do not apply it to the following items: Summary tasks, overhead tasks, recurring detail tasks, milestones, and tasks in high-level schedules that are only created to estimate duration and cost of the whole project in order to gain approval for the project.

2. Capture out-of-scope elements in a note on the project summary task (ribbon Format, check the Project Summary Task box) using the Notes tool (Task ribbon). We recommend paying careful attention to clarifying what is in-scope and out-of-scope to manage the expectations of your client carefully and early in the life of the project. Creating a detailed WBS and list of out-of-scope deliverables with your client’s agreement ensures that you have had a veritable meeting of the mines with the client, the essence of a contract.

3. Executives and clients tend to get too nervous when you do not give them enough visibility into your project. You need to give them opportunities to make a difference. If executives or clients do not have enough visibility into your project, they will come and get the information they need. They may come into your office and start directing you, which is known as micro-managing. You can prevent most micro-managing by simply providing enough detail,

This article originally appeared as content in Forecast Scheduling with Microsoft Project 2013: Best Practices for Real World Projects, by Eric Uyttewaal.