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Tag: Career

PMTimes_Sep11_2024

Developing Leadership – How To Take Control

Written by George Pitagorsky on . Posted in Articles.

Everyone is a leader. We lead and are led by others. And everyone leads themself.

But not everyone is a good leader. Ego-driven leadership refuses to learn from the past, fails to plan effectively, is self-serving, vindictive, is not limited by truthfulness, and manipulates.

 

Leadership

Leadership is “the process of getting a group of people in a direction, to pursue common objectives.  The most effective leaders use mostly non-coercive means and seek to satisfy the group’s best interests.”[1]

According to the U.S. Department of the Army Field Manual leadership is:

“A process in which a soldier (person) applies his or her beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills to influence others to accomplish the mission….

The soldier (person) watches what you do so that his/her mind and instincts can tell him/her what you really are: an honorable leader of character with courage, competence, candor, and commitment, or a self-serving phony who uses troops and expedient behavior to look good and get ahead.” (Slightly edited for gender equity.) [2]

When you apply this to yourself, it implies significant self-awareness. Good leaders must know their beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. They must realize that they influence others by their behavior – what they say and do. They must continuously assess and improve their skills and performance. And they must know what the mission is.

 

Start with Yourself

If you aspire to be a good leader, start with yourself.

  • Define your goal,
  • Assess your leadership capabilities,
  • Identify strengths and weaknesses, and
  • Commit to a development plan.

Any good leader does this for their “troops, ” employees, or followers. It represents one of many leadership qualities – developing skills in oneself and others.

 

Define Your Goal

What is your personal goal as you hone your leadership skills? Your most valued goal motivates your behavior. My goal is to be calm, compassionate, competent, and self-aware.

Leadership goals are complex. We have personal goals, like being happy, succeeding, making more money, being in control, getting ahead, and maximizing our wellness. There are organizational goals – being profitable, serving, ecological health, etc. Every stakeholder – employees, managers, executives, clients, suppliers, partners, etc. – has personal goals.

Good leaders step back from their own goals to acknowledge all the goals and consider them when making decisions that will affect themselves and others. When goals conflict with one another, apply your values to decide on your actions while considering short and long-term impacts.

If your goal is to further your personal agenda regardless of its effect on others, consider that compassionate servant leadership promotes optimal performance. And optimal performance furthers your agenda.

 

A recent Harvard Business Review article, Compassionate Leadership Is Necessary — but Not Sufficient posits that “Compassion in leadership creates stronger connections between people.  It improves collaboration, raises levels of trust, and enhances loyalty. In addition, studies find that compassionate leaders are perceived as stronger and more competent.”

“The article’s authors define compassion as “the quality of having positive intentions and real concern for others.”  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, compassion is the “sympathetic consciousness of other’s distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”   Compassion is exhibited in helpful acts of kindness. “[3]

Consider Servant Leadership as an option. You can apply its principles in deciding on your goal. It is an approach to leadership built on the idea that managers are there to serve their subordinates. “Servant-leaders share power, put the needs of others first, and enable people to develop and perform optimally.”[4]

As you define your goals reflect on the leadership behavior you want to exhibit. How do you want to be perceived? How comfortable and competent do you want to feel? What is your position in the hierarchy, what influence do you have, and how do you lead from there?

 

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Assess Your Leadership Capabilities

Leadership capabilities are combinations of many skills.

“Leadership skills boil down to the ability to create a vision, motivate and influence followers to realize the vision, build teams, communicate, listen, and negotiate.  These skills are supported by mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom.”[5]

We can summarize leadership capabilities as maintaining a positive mindset, relating well with others, and being able to make effective decisions.

In a Google search, Search Labs | AI Overview identified the following 16 skills:

 

  • Communication
  • Empathy
  • Conflict resolution
  • Delegation
  • Resilience
  • Ownership
  • Critical thinking
  • Honesty
  • Feedback
  • Self-awareness
  • Integrity
  • Relationship building
  • Agility and adaptability
  • Innovation and creativity
  • Decision-making
  • Negotiation

 

Other sources add Empowering Others as a skill.

That’s a lot of skills to manage. Focus on the capabilities and then home in on the skills that may need tweaking.

 

Identify strengths and weaknesses

There are many assessment tools. These tools are most effective in the context of an ongoing leadership development program. It may be your organization’s program, though make sure you have your own.

For example, a leadership development program may contain assessment tools, coaching, training, and candid criticism, including 360-degree feedback. It would be structured to accommodate the needs of beginners as well as seasoned leaders.

To assess your capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses, objectively observe your behavior and its effects on your ability to achieve your goals. Obtain feedback. Answer the questions: Are you achieving your performance goals? Are conditions harmonious and productive? What would you change to make things even better than they are?

 

Commit to a development plan.

Thinking about leadership and planning to improve are starting points. Action is what makes for success in a continuously improving ability to lead. Committing to the plan means planning and then acting to meet objectives.

On the surface, the plan is to define your goal, assess your leadership capabilities, identify strengths and weaknesses, and commit to a development plan.

On a more tactical level, it includes taking part in workshops and training programs, finding a coach, adopting mindfulness and other methods to support stress management, relationship management, focus, and decision-making, as well as honing skills like the ability to create or interpret a financial plan or make better use of technology.

The key point is to take control of your leadership development, to continuously improve. Assess, plan, act, repeat.

 

[1] https://www.projecttimes.com/articles/compassionate-leadership/
[2] From Wisdom at Work Discerning Insights on Leadership 9-10-24 Joel & Michelle Levey <[email protected]> ]
[3] https://www.projecttimes.com/articles/compassionate-leadership/
[4] https://www.projecttimes.com/george-pitagorsky/the-caring-manager.html
[5] https://www.projecttimes.com/articles/compassionate-leadership/
PMTimes_July24_2024

Six Essential Abilities for PM Excellence

Written by George Pitagorsky on . Posted in Articles.

Six essential abilities enable effective performance in any role, whether as a manager, leader, partner, or team member, at work or at home. These are in addition to traditional project management skills such as planning, scheduling, and managing risk.

The foundation for these abilities is:

  • Mindset – the way you perceive the world through your mental models, attitudes, and beliefs
  • Emotional intelligence – your capacity to manage your emotions and be aware of your impact on others, and
  • Mindfulness – your capacity to be objectively aware of what is happening internally and around you.

 

Six Essentials

The six essential abilities for effective performance are particularly important when working with others in complex, uncertain, changing circumstances to accomplish objectives. They are:

  • Adaptability – the ability to change as circumstances change
  • Communication – the ability to exchange ideas and understandings.
  • Conflict-management/Problem-solving/ Decision-making – the ability to confront uncertainty and problems to resolve them by making effective decisions
  • Time management – the ability to organize and balance your effort, and the way you use your time.
  • Relationship management – sustaining healthy connections with others
  • Resilience – the ability to bounce back when faced with difficult challenges and obstacles.

 

Combining the Essentials

While we can cultivate each ability independently of the others it is the combination of them that makes the difference:

  • Communication, adaptability, relationship management, and resilience support problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Communication, effective problem-solving, time management, and adaptability enable healthy relationships.
  • Healthy relationships are essential for conflict management and problem-solving.

 

Cultivating The Abilities – Integrated Learning

These abilities can be the subject of courses, coaching, and experiential learning opportunities, and embedded in traditional PM skill training, for example, highlighting adaptability as a factor in risk management and communication and decision-making in planning courses. Regular reminders in team meetings and work sessions help to integrate the essentials into daily life and sustain and improve performance.

In this article, we will point out the basics for each ability and identify the roles of the foundations of mindset, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness.

 

Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to change as circumstances change. And circumstances change all the time. For example, adaptability is being able to shift roles, responsibilities, and schedules when a team member leaves, or when any change occurs that disrupts plans.

To adapt requires emotional intelligence with the ability to remain calm, accept the uncertainty of the situation, and confront any resistance to making sensible changes, including the disappointment about slipping the schedule if that is likely to happen.

A growth, as opposed to a fixed mindset, opens you to alternatives and learning. A positive mindset recognizes that each obstacle is an opportunity to move in a new direction rather than a dead-end. When you apply a positive growth mindset you accept uncertainty and an absence of complete control, it opens the door to adaptability.

 

Communication

Communication is the ability to exchange ideas and understandings. It transcends speech and writing to include listening, body language, and the intuitive sense of the feeling tones that communicate mood.

Whether adapting to change, convincing executives to authorize a project, getting a client to sign off, inform, or motivate the team, the ability to clearly say what is on your mind in a way that enables others to understand it is critical to success.

Mindfulness and emotional intelligence support communication by making you sensitive to your feelings and habits, and to the responses of others to what you are saying or not saying to them.

 

Conflict Management/Problem-solving/ Decision-making

Conflict management involves adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. Conflict arises when there is uncertainty regarding a path forward, or there are alternatives that seem to be or are opposed to one another. A decision must be made to resolve the conflict.

An open-minded mindset founded on systems and process thinking enables strategic and critical thinking. These lead to more effective decisions.

Emotional intelligence and mindfulness help to avoid unnecessary competitiveness and promote collaboration, so conflicts are relationship builders rather than relationship busters.

 

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Time Management

Managing your time puts you in charge of optimizing your effectiveness. Cultivate a mindset that respects your time and work style and recognizes the needs of others for uninterrupted work periods and rest.

  • Prioritize and schedule tasks based on criticality, your preferences, the need for collaboration, task duration, and wait times.
  • Focus on one thing at a time to avoid multitasking. But be open to multitasking when it makes sense. In other words, adapt.
  • Avoid interruptions and distractions by blocking work sessions as if they were meetings or other busy periods.
  • Apply mindfulness to avoid being drawn down rabbit holes and away from your task focus.
  • Take rest and recovery periods, mindful of the onset of mental or physical fatigue.

 

Relationship Management

A systems and process mindset acknowledges that relationships are the single most important aspect of project management if not all of life. A project team is a system of people performing processes. If relationships are unhealthy, full of tension, inappropriately competitive, and lacking in mutual respect, performance is likely to be subpar.

Communication, conflict management, and adaptability when founded on emotional intelligence and mindfulness of your emotions and the emotions of others will generate healthy relationships. Healthy relationships will enable effective communication, and conflict management, as well as help the entire team be adaptable.

 

Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover and be ready to respond when faced with difficult challenges and obstacles. It differentiates highly effective project managers from those who either burn out or perform marginally well under pressure.

You know you or those around you are not resilient when depression and defeatism follow a setback. Resilience is built by

  • Cultivating a growth mindset so you can treat obstacles and failures as learning opportunities,
  • Applying mindfulness to be self-aware of tendencies to over-dramatize crisis, and
  • Enhancing emotional intelligence to avoid reactivity.

Resilience requires being realistic and optimistic. It is enabled when you accept whatever has happened and let go of remorse and blame to recover and move on with renewed enthusiasm.

 

Call to Action

In summary, project management and performance excellence require a positive growth mindset with a base in systems and process thinking, your capacity to manage your emotions and behavior, and mindful awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.

Together these are a foundation for the essential behavioral abilities that enable the optimal application of project management technical skills.

Achieve sustainable optimal performance:

  1. Continuously assess individual and team behavioral capabilities
  2. Assess the degree to which they are valued in your environment
  3. Develop or refine your learning plans
  4. Cultivate the foundations and essential abilities in conjunction with technical project management skills
  5. Assess the difference in performance
  6. Adjust.
PMTimes_July2_2024

Effective Strategies for Leading Remote Teams

Written by Lucian Sfart on . Posted in Articles.

In today’s professional landscape, remote work has become the norm, transcending geographical boundaries and redefining traditional notions of collaboration. For project managers, leading distributed teams presents both challenges and opportunities.

Managing projects with remote teams presents unique challenges that require adaptability and effective strategies. Successfully navigating the complexities of remote work demands a combination of effective communication, technological proficiency, and adaptive leadership.

In this article, we’ll discuss strategies to empower project managers to effectively lead remote teams and drive project success.

 

Leveraging Technology for Seamless Communication

At the core of successful remote collaboration lies effective communication. Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful project management, particularly when working with remote teams. There are various strategies for establishing robust communication channels that facilitate clear and timely information exchange. Some of these topics to be covered here may include:

  1. Utilizing proper communication tools: Explore various communication tools and platforms, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management software, and highlight their features and benefits.
  2. Setting communication expectations: Discuss the importance of establishing clear communication guidelines, including preferred modes of communication, response times, and availability, in order to ensure seamless collaboration.
  3. Regular team meetings: emphasize the significance of regular team meetings to foster alignment, address challenges, provide updates, and encourage open dialogue among team members.
  4. Transparent documentation and knowledge sharing: Highlight the importance of centralizing project documentation, sharing relevant information, and leveraging knowledge management systems to promote transparency and collaboration.

Project managers must leverage technology to facilitate seamless interaction and foster connectivity among team members. Using collaboration platforms, video conferencing tools, and instant messaging apps facilitates real-time communication, enhances transparency, and strengthens team cohesion.

By leveraging technology as a communication enabler, project managers bridge the physical divide and cultivate a collaborative remote work environment.

 

Promoting Trust and Autonomy

Empowering remote teams relies on two key elements: trust and autonomy. Project managers must empower team members to take ownership of their work, make independent decisions, and contribute meaningfully to project outcomes. Establishing clear goals, defining expectations, and offering regular feedback creates a culture of accountability and trust within remote teams.

Entrusting remote team members with confidence in their expertise and capabilities unlocks their full potential, promoting innovation in remote work environments.

 

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Embracing Agile Practices for Adaptability

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, the true essence of agility lies in fostering a mindset of adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Agile methodologies provide a flexible framework for managing projects in dynamic environments.

As organizations strive for true agility, it’s crucial to remember that agility is more than just a set of practices; it’s a way of thinking and working that empowers teams to navigate uncertainty and deliver value with speed and precision.

Project managers can leverage Agile principles such as iterative development, frequent feedback, and adaptive planning to navigate the complexities of remote work effectively. Breaking down projects into manageable tasks and conducting regular stand-up meetings and retrospectives promote transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement within remote teams. Additionally, Agile practices enable remote teams to respond quickly to changing priorities, customer feedback, and market dynamics.

By embracing Agile principles and methodologies, project managers empower remote teams to adapt, innovate, and deliver value in a rapidly changing business environment.

 

Prioritizing Team Engagement and Wellness

Remote work can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection among team members. Project managers play a crucial role in prioritizing team engagement and well-being in remote work environments. Regular team-building activities, virtual coffee breaks, and informal check-ins foster friendship within remote teams. Additionally, project managers should be mindful of challenges associated with remote work, such as work-life balance, burnout, and communication fatigue.

Advocating work-life balance, encouraging self-care, and offering assistance as necessary showcase dedication to the welfare of remote team members and create a positive work culture.

 

Empower Project Managers to Achieve Outstanding Results by Leveraging Data and Analytics

Managing projects means making decisions. Data-driven decision-making is essential for driving project success in remote work environments. Project managers can leverage data and analytics to gain insights into team performance, identify bottlenecks, and optimize processes. Utilizing project management software and collaboration tools allows project managers to track progress, monitor resource allocation, and identify areas for improvement within remote teams.

Project managers can use this predictive information to make better decisions and keep projects on schedule and within budget. A data-driven analytics approach enables project teams to analyze the defined data to understand specific patterns and trends. Executives can use this analysis to determine how projects and resources perform and what strategic decisions they can take to improve the success rate.

Furthermore, analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction informs strategic decision-making. By leveraging the power of data and analytics, project managers empower remote teams to achieve their full potential and deliver exceptional results.

 

Conclusion

Enabling project managers to effectively lead remote teams requires a comprehensive approach that includes communication, trust-building, Agile practices, team engagement, and data-driven decision-making. By embracing technology, prompting autonomy, and prioritizing wellness, project managers overcome the challenges of remote work and capitalize on its opportunities.

Using a strategic approach and commitment to continuous improvement, project managers unleash the full potential of remote teams, driving innovation and project success in the digital age.

Empowering project managers with the skills, tools, and strategies needed to succeed in remote work environments prepares organizations for success in an interconnected digital and virtual environment.

 

References

Edvin Lundstroem, 2024. Efficient Software Project Management: Strategies for Successful Implementation. Independently published.

PMTimes_Jun8_2024

How to Prevent Project Burnout Before It Strikes

Written by Adrian Reed on . Posted in Articles.

I suspect many people reading this work on projects pretty continuously. It’s normal to jump from one project straight to the next, often without much time for reflection and decompression. In fact, you might be balancing multiple smaller projects at the same time. That’s a hard gig: typically each project has its own set of deadlines, and Project A’s sponsor doesn’t care that Project B has suddenly put extra demands on your time…

 

In situations like this, it’s easy to get into the vicious cycle of working longer and longer hours. Sometimes, for a very short and defined period of time, this might be OK. But when it becomes the norm, it can become unhealthy. When weekends become the ‘mop up’ time for all the emails you couldn’t clear during the week, and Monday is filled with a sense of dread, something is probably wrong. If you’re there at the moment, I feel for you. I’ve been there. I suspect we’ve all been there.

In this blog, I wanted to share some tips that can help avoid situations like this. Of course, we are all individuals and we all have different working patterns, so what works for me might not work for you. Certainly, you’ll want to adapt the tips below, but hopefully they’ll provide you with a useful starting point:

 

  1. Say “No” Effectively

There is rarely a lack of work to be done, there is a lack of time and attention to do it effectively. Say “yes” to unrealistic deadlines and there’s a risk that everything will be rushed and everything will be late.

Yet saying “no” sounds career-limiting, doesn’t it? Who would dare say “no” to a senior leader? Perhaps it’s all about how the message is given.  For example:

 

  • Say “yes, and here’s the impact”: Imagine you’re stretched and another task comes in. A way of responding might be to say: “I can absolutely do that, by that date. However, this will impact tasks B and C. Are you happy for this new task to take priority?”.
  • Say “Thanks for thinking of me, let me introduce you to someone that can help”: It’s easy to inadvertently take on the work that others might be able to do more effectively. Perhaps someone is asking you to pick up a support issue on a project that launched months ago and is now in ‘Business as Usual’ (BAU). A response might be “Thanks, it’s always really interesting to hear how things are going on that system! I’m somewhat out of the loop with that now, as the support team took over. It’s really important that these issues are logged with them, so they can track trends. Shall I send you over a link to the defect logging form? If you don’t get any response, feel free to follow up with me and I’ll connect you with my contact there”.
  • Say “No, but here’s what I can do (and offer options)”: Imagine a completely unrealistic deadline has been given. Saying yes will save short term pain, but will cause long term issues when the deadline is missed. A better option may be to say “I can’t hit that deadline (for the following reasons), however here’s an estimate of what can be done. Alternatively, with additional resource we could achieve this…”
  • Finally, a flat out “no” is fine sometimes: Not everyone agrees with this, but in my view, particularly when something is optional, it’s fine to say a flat out no. “Would you like to help organize the summer BBQ?”.  “No thanks, I’ve got a lot on right now, so that’s not something I’m interested in”. Of course, this needs to be delivered with rapport, empathy and respect.

 

There are many other ways, and it’s important to be aware of context and culture. What works in one situation will not work in others.

 

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  1. Find Ways of Recharging (And Make Time For Them)

We all have things that replenish our energy. For me, it’s exercise (whether that’s walking or going to the gym), reading and other hobbies. It will be different for you. The irony is that when things get hectic, often these are the very things that we jettison.  Don’t! Build them into your routine and make them non-negotiable.

 

  1. Celebrate Successes

It’s so easy to jump from sprint to sprint, delivery to delivery without actually reflecting on what was achieved. Celebrating even small successes is worthwhile. This doesn’t have to be a major event, just a lunch with the team, or some other kind of social event can help mark the milestone.

 

  1. Watch for Warning Signs

Finally, it’s important that we all look out for warning signs—in ourselves and others. I remember friend and fellow BA Times author Christina Lovelock talking about ‘digital distress signals’. Is someone emailing at 6am and then again at 10pm? Might that be an indication that they are overwhelmed?  If the person has an unusual work pattern (perhaps working before the kids go to school, and catching up in the evening) it might be totally fine. But if this isn’t the case, they might be pulling 14 hour days, and that’s got to be impacting them.

 

We all feel and experience overwhelm differently, and a little bit of stress is not unusual. There’s even a theory that a little bit of stress is good for you. But continuous stress is an issue, and it’s worth watching out for.

Of course, this article has only scratched the surface of this topic, but I hope you’ve found the ideas thought-provoking. I’d love to hear how you avoid burnout on projects. Be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s keep the conversation going!

PMTimes_Jun1_2024

The Value of a Project Charter

Written by Lauren Zinsmeister on . Posted in Articles.

If you’re familiar with the Project Management Book of Knowledge, or PMBOK for short, you know all about the Project Charter and its criticality to the success of a project. The PMBOK says that the project cannot start until the Project Sponsor formally signs off on the Charter.

 

Having worked at midsize companies for nearly 15 years, I learned that actual Project Charters with formal sign-off are more of a “big company” thing. To date, I haven’t once been required to write a Charter or get one approved to begin a project. Let me tell you why I insist on a Charter and have more than just the Project Sponsor sign off before I kick off a project. Come with me on this thought journey.

 

If I had to pick a single area of knowledge from the PMBOK as the most critical, I would pick Stakeholder Management. You can have the best plan and the best tools, but a tumultuous stakeholder situation can completely derail a project. On the flip side, you can have a scrappy team with few processes and subpar tools, but with committed people working well together, a project can succeed in spite of other project elements being challenging.

 

If I had to pick an area of knowledge to be second most critical, it would be Time Management. This encompasses your ability to scope the project, break it down into tasks, understand dependencies, build a project schedule, and keep the team aligned with each other as well as the schedule. In a sense, it’s a superset of a few other areas and captures the core of your project plan.

 

Enter the Project Charter, which I would argue is the most critical project artifact. Below are the basic elements of a good Project Charter:

  1. Problem statement
  2. Business case
  3. Goal statement
  4. Timeline
  5. Scope
  6. Team members

 

Diving into these 6 elements, we see 1, 2, 3, and 6 align to Stakeholder Management and 4 and 5 align to Time Management.

 

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Let’s start by looking at the Stakeholder Management elements.

  • Problem statement – Having this clearly written in the Charter ensures that key stakeholders agree a problem exists. They are agreeing on what that problem is. Finally, they are agreeing that this project is the right approach to solving the problem.
  • Business case – Here is where stakeholders are agreeing that this project is worth the resources. It’s possible to have everyone agree that a problem exists and needs to be solved, but it’s something entirely different to agree on its priority and resourcing.
  • Goal statement – Different people can look at the same problem and come to a different conclusion about how to solve it. Articulating the goal in writing will avoid assumptions and make it clear to stakeholders what everyone is working toward. Without stakeholder alignment on the project goal, the project is doomed to become tumultuous when the project team inevitably encounters a fork in the road.
  • Team members – We’ve agreed we have a problem to solve, we’ve agreed it’s worth investing in, and we’ve agreed on what the ultimate goal looks like. This section gets specific about whose time will need to be invested, what the commitment is, and what their responsibilities will be. Key stakeholders reviewing the Charter will be able to think through the impact on their teams and make sure they are able to commit the team members required. They will also be able to identify other team members who may not be listed, helping to complete the project team.

 

Our remaining two elements are tied to Time Management, though agreement on these is also inextricably tied to Stakeholder Management.

  • Timeline – To be able to write this section of the Charter, you will have had to do some high level project scoping and establish your project structure. Do you have phases? Stagger starts? Is your execution stage planned to be managed using Agile methodology, so the timeline needs to be flexible? All of those considerations and more are required for a timeline estimate. Putting this estimate in front of key stakeholders in the Charter ensures they understand the high level of time commitment. This provides an opportunity for discussion if some stakeholders think it needs to be completed faster or someone says they can’t commit the required resources for the deadline, so the project needs to be extended.
  • Scope – They say the devil is in the details, and this is where those details live. Clarity on scope allows for work estimates, project scheduling, and work coordination among team members. Clarity on out-of-scope work is just as important, because that enables you to define “done,” wrap up the project when in-scope deliverables are complete, and hand off deliverables and/or processes to business-as-usual owners for long-term ownership. The clearer you can be about your scope in the Charter, the fewer struggles you’ll have with scope creep later.

 

I personally expand on these base elements with a couple of my own tried-and-true tools. Seizing the opportunity to get stakeholder alignment, I also include the below:

  • Communication plan – I use this section to detail what information will be shared with which stakeholders as well as the method I will use. This is especially important if some team members or stakeholders are in different time zones, and even more important if there are people from multiple cultures. Communication norms vary in different cultures, so I like to ensure everyone knows what to expect and has an opportunity to raise a hand if they need something different from what I had originally planned.
  • Project change management – What are the criteria for something to be considered a project change? What process does it go through to be approved? Who has the authority to approve a change? Stakeholder alignment up front will save time and struggle when someone wants to add a deliverable to the project or expand the project to include related work that is discovered during project execution.

 

The Project Charter provides the best opportunity for you to detail critical components of your project and get stakeholder alignment. You can’t possibly list every detail, but you can align on your plans, processes, and expectations so everyone is working in the same way when questions and challenges inevitably arise.