How to plan a project, step by step, on one hand.
You don’t need software or a job title to plan well. You need five questions, and you already carry them around on your hand.
The 1-minute version
- Picture it: why are we doing this, and what does done look like?
- Map it: what comes first, and who owns each piece?
- Try it: what’s the smallest test before we commit?
- Launch it: who’s doing what, by when? Say it back.
- Close it: did we keep the promise? Keep, drop, try.
- I · Thumb · Thumbs up
Picture it. Write one sentence for done, and a finish date.
- Say why you’re doing it first. If nobody can say why, stop here.
- Then describe done in one sentence a stranger would understand.
- Pick the day it ends. If it has no end date, it’s a wish, not a project yet.
- II · Pointer · Direction
Map it. List the tasks, then put a name and a date beside each one.
- Write every task on its own line, in the order it has to happen.
- Circle the tasks that set the finish date. That’s your critical path, so watch those most.
- Give each task one owner. “We’ll do it” usually means nobody will.
- III · Middle · Challenge
Try it. Test the riskiest part small, before you spend real time or money.
- Ask what would hurt most if it went wrong, and try a small version of that first.
- A trial run, a sample or a quick phone call is often enough.
- If the test fails, you’ve learned cheaply. Change the plan and carry on.
- IV · Ring · Commitment
Launch it. Share the plan, and have each person say their part back.
- Put the list where everyone can see it: one message, one page, one place.
- Ask each owner to repeat their task and date in their own words.
- Pick a few check-in times and keep them. That’s the spyglass: watch it.
- V · Pinky promise
Close it. Look back, thank people and keep your notes.
- Ask whether you did what you set out to do.
- Write down one thing to keep, one to drop and one to try next time.
- High five everyone who helped, by name. Save the notes for when this project comes around again.
Quick questions
What are the steps of planning a project?
Five, one per finger: picture it (why, and what done looks like), map it (tasks, owners, dates), try it (a small test), launch it (everyone says their part back) and close it (keep, drop, try).
Do I need project management software?
Not for most everyday projects. A list with a name and a date beside each task does the job. Software helps when many people work on many tasks at once.
Picture it · Map it · Try it · Launch it · Close it