Planning fallacy

The planning fallacy, first proposed by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979,^[1][2] is a phenomenon in which predictions about how much time will be needed to complete a future task display an optimism bias and underestimate the time needed.

Peter principle

In management theory, the Peter principle states that the selection of a candidate for a position is based on the candidate's performance in their current role, rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role. Thus, employees only stop being promoted once they can no longer perform effectively, and "managers rise to the level of their incompetence." 

The Peter principle was coined by educator Laurence J. Peter in 1969.

Murphy's Law

Murphy's law is a popular adage that states that "things will go wrong in any given situation, if you give them a chance," or more commonly, "whatever can go wrong,will go wrong." 

Parkinson's law

Parkinson's Law is a principle that states:

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."  

Formulated by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in a satirical essay published in The Economist in 1955, and later in his book Parkinson's Law: The Pursuit of Progress, the law describes a common observation about efficiency (or lack thereof) in bureaucracies and other organizations.