[sateesh]

My main takeaway from the McConnel's book has been not to provide an estimate as a single point number (say something like it will be done in 5 weeks) but rather as a range (say something like 5-8 weeks), as providing a single point number would give the impression that it is the target date (while it is not). But unfortunately most of the times all I have got is blank stares when I give estimates as a range and a question why don't you give me the time it takes to finish :(. Wish more number of people who do project management read at least 1st two parts of McConell's book on software estimation.

[DougWebb]

I ran into the same problem, and eventually the only workable solution was to use ranges within the software development group, but to only communicate the high end of the range to the project management group and executive team. Most of the time our projects came in "under budget" this way, which seems self-serving, and sometimes projects we thought we could complete on-time were shelved as being too-expensive, but whenever we tried to give those groups better information (eg: the range) they always went straight for the low-end and gave that out to marketing and other groups as a committed deadline date.

[PaulHoule]

Sometimes I like to say '1d4 hours' or something like that.

[jacques_chester]

I hope you'll keep insisting on giving ranges.