1 Critical Tenet to a Resilient Project Plan
The purpose of this blog is to cover making a plan approach that is deliverables-based, a fundamental tenet to a strong and resilient plan.
The Approach is a project piece in the Map segment which is in the PLAN domain of the MPM model.
The Approach is a project piece in the Map segment which is in the PLAN domain of the MPM model
Make your Plan Deliverables-Based
A good project plan should tell you at a glance how far along you are towards completing the deliverables that satisfy the measurable objectives that achieve the project purpose.
The key is that the project be structured so that the first few levels of the approach are only the deliverables and the components that make up those deliverables.
Deliverables only in the first few levels
There should be no tasks in those first few levels.
Do not introduce tasks until the deliverables are broken down into their smallest achievable units.
Tasks are activities that detail how deliverables are created.
If you are focused first on deliverables, then you are always going to be open to different activities to get to the same result. You are always going to be looking for better, faster ways to get the same outcome.
However, if your approach is focused first on activities, then your goal becomes doing the activity regardless of how effective it is towards achieving your deliverables.
If the highest levels of the plan focus on the how, you won’t be as effective at getting things done.
The difference is subtle, but critical to the successful mindset of both you and the project team.
The first few levels of the plan are only deliverables
I’ve seen many project plans in a 30-year career and mentored many managers and one of the first things I do when helping a manager who is struggling with their project is to get them to focus on what they are delivering.
Move the focus from tasks to deliverables
I take their project schedule and approach, which they may have in hand, turn it over, and ask them to draw on the blank back of the sheet a box for everything they are delivering. These are their high-level deliverables.
Then I ask them to continue to break each box down to smaller boxes surrounding the bigger boxes until each deliverable is broken down into its smallest units of what is being delivered.
Notice we haven’t yet discussed how any of these things are being done.
Then we compare the boxes with what their plan looks like and invariably there is a difference.
They then go back and rebuild their plan, so it is deliverables based and they are able to successfully create something that clears up many challenges and allows them to see a better and faster way to complete their project.
Summary
A good project plan should tell you at a glance how far along you are towards completing the deliverables that satisfy the measurable objectives that achieve the project purpose.
Structure the approach so that the first few levels of the plan are only the deliverables and the components that make up those deliverables. Do not introduce tasks until the deliverables are broken down into their smallest achievable units.
If you focus first on deliverables, then you are always going to be open to different activities to get to the same result. You are always going to be looking for better, faster ways to get the same outcome.
Action Steps / Apply This Knowledge
- Review your project plan to ensure the first few levels are deliverables.
- If it helps you, don’t look at your plan and draw large boxes for the main deliverables and smaller boxes for the components that make up those main deliverables.
- Now to back to your plan. Restructure it if necessary to ensure the first few levels are only the large boxes and the set of smaller boxes that make up each main deliverable.
- Prompt engineering guidance for AI GPTs such as chatGPT: “I’m a business leader launching a project that is delivering X, Y, and Z. What do I need to consider when creating the deliverables structure and approach to their creation to develop the first few levels of the plan?”
Learn More to Do More
Business evolves through change initiatives otherwise known as projects. The key to managing these change initiatives so you have more time, and less stress is to use simple strategies and tools.
Check out the Learning Hub’s other Articles with Actionable Steps, organized with a busy leader in mind, by topic or main idea, and with some AI GPT (e.g. ChatGPT) prompt engineering suggestions under the Action steps: https://simplepmstrategies.com/learning-hub-index
PLAN – Deliverables Based First
© Simple PM Strategies 2024