Tired of confusion and rework due to a lack of early project engagement and agreement? Write project charters!
Ever encounter this scenario? The Joker has carefully placed a ticking time bomb in your project, one that will create chaos and upset the social order. His presence is causing confusion and frustration. You’re not sure you have what it takes to deliver your project and help your organization achieve its mission.
How can you defuse the bomb, reduce the chaos, and start your projects in an orderly manner?
It doesn’t require super powers. Only discipline and diligence to develop a project charter.
Not sure how or what to include? I will walk you through the project charter, step by step. You will come out of this course with the ability to write charters that enhance clarity, communication, and agreement.
The results? Better foundation. Fewer risks. Smoother path.
Start Out Right...
You've just been assigned a new project. What will be your first steps?
We're all busy, aren't we? Just trying to survive.
It's okay to admit it, we're all guilty of jumping into projects with little stakeholder engagement. The Executives say, "Just get started. We'll catch up on the details later."
You have an uneasy feeling. Not sure how this project will be any different than the stressed-filled project you recently finished.
There must be a better way to stop problems early. . .
Project Charter. A document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. —PMBOK 6th Edition
The Project Management Troubles
A project has many moving parts. When you start getting into it, you quickly find more questions than answers.
- How will I engage the stakeholders and actually understand their needs?
- Where will scope creep most likely occur?
- How can I ensure good participation in my project?
- What tools and techniques should I use to elicit and analyze requirements?
- How will I know if I have enough budget to handle my risks?
- Where are the opportunities that I should exploit?
- What outside influences may cause problems?
- How can we keep from wasting time and working unnecessary long hours?
- Will this project help or harm my career?
It's an endless rabbit hole of trying to get everything going in the same direction. You fix one problem and create two. Creating a project charter provides the context and basis to answer these questions.
The Highly Scalable Approach
The Highly Scalable Approach. The project charter process is so scalable and SO beneficial. What I mean is this: for a small project you may write your charter quickly. For large, complex projects, you may invest more time to engage your stakeholders and facilitate agreement and buy-in to the project.
The Little Known “Project Sponsor-Project Manager” Effect
Positive things happen when the Project Sponsor and the Project Manager work together in crafting a project charter. Not only is communication improved, relationships can be further developed and strengthened.
The Secret Sauce for Writing Clear Project Goals
We know that we should write SMART goals, but how? Discover a simple, yet powerful formula for writing clear project goals.
The Four Project Charter Checkpoints
How will you know if you've created an awesome charter? You will learn four checkpoints that will greatly improve the quality and fit of your charters.
The 16 Powerful Elements of a Project Charter
Everyone knows to include your project goals and assumptions in a charter. But do you know the other elements to consider for your charters?
How to Use the Project Charter After Initiation
Sometimes I'm asked how I use a project charter after the project has been approved. Great question! There are several ways we can get additional value from the charter. For example, you can use the charter in your project kick-off meeting to help your stakeholders understand the project. We'll look at other uses too.
What the Project Charter Course is NOT...
I want to set the right expectations, here. The Project Charter Course is not what you expect from your typical, average online course.
The Project Charter Course is Not a Passive "Information Download"
This course is not about just sitting back learning a bunch of theory and then doing nothing with it. This is an action-packed course. The purpose is NOT to hear a lot of information. It's to guide you through a system of exercises and actions, that allow you to create your own project charters.
The Project Charter Course is Not About Project Sponsors & Project Managers Acting as Lone Rangers
You will NOT find instructions for project managers to write project charters in a closet. And then checking a box that it's done. None of that here! The purpose of writing a project charter goes much deeper—it's a tool for engaging stakeholders, resolving conflicts early, and removing obstacles for smooth, clear passage of the project.
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Start with a project charter!
Disclaimer:
This is Not a "Quick-Fix Program"
I've defined a very clear goal for this course: to help Project Sponsors and Project Managers to write project charters. Furthermore, it's my desire to boost your project success by improving engagement and communication early in your projects.
But nothing on this page is to be construed as a quick fix for all of your project problems. There's absolutely no guarantee that you will automatically become successful by writing a good project charter.
I know that 90% of people reading this get it and you can skip this part. But I want to be crystal clear for the other 10%. This course will help you write your charters as quickly as possible, but successful projects are achieved by the continued hard work after the charter is approved.
I'm going to teach you a craft. The craft of writing projects charters, like any craft, is in the doing. You can't read a book about flying a plane and expect the book alone to give you this skill. You can't consume this course and write good project charters without writing.
Buy this course if you want to learn a new skill—write project charters. Don't buy it if you don't plan to actually use it.
One of many things that differentiates this online course is the Start Writing Your Project Charter Today eBook. At no additional cost, you will receive your own copy. Filled with more than 30 pages of tips to help you create project charters and overcome many of the typical problems project managers encounter later.
The Project Charter Framework
Not sure how to develop a charter? I will walk you through the process, step by step. You'll learn about each milestone and how you can use a different level of rigor for each project.
Who is this course for?
Anyone who is responsible for creating project charters will benefit from this course. This includes but is not limited to:
Project Managers
Project Sponsor
Chief Executive Officers
Team Leaders
Project Team Members
Vice President or Director of PMO
Consultants
For-Profit and Non-Profit Organizations
...success in 68 percent of technology projects is "improbable" -ZDNet
"Sixty-eight percent of companies are more likely to have a marginal project or outright failure than a success due to the way they approach business analysis. In fact, 50 percent of this group's projects were 'runaways' which had any 2 of: taking over 180 percent of target time to deliver; consuming in excess of 160 percent of the estimated budget; or delivering under 70 percent of the target required functionality."
Why does this continue to happen? It starts with the beginning. Many organizations do a terrible job setting up projects, which is one of the primary reasons they fail.
Here's the good news. This does not have to happen to you! You can create a solid foundation for each project. And you can help your organization develop this skill.
About Your Instructor
Hey guys. I'm Harry Hall, the Project Risk Coach. I have managed projects for more than 20 years. I am a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP). I've implemented three PMOs and two Enterprise Risk Management Programs. Additionally, I am a graduate of the University of Georgia plus I have an Associate in Risk Management–Enterprise Risk Management (ARM-E).
What do I enjoy doing most? I love to teach. And I've taught hundreds of project managers around the world in many different industries.
I think of myself as a tour guide. I guide my students and provide information and tips along the way. But ultimately, I leave the application up to you the project manager. You ultimately determine how to apply the principles.
What people are saying...
The instructor clearly states what he is going to cover and then covers it in just the right amount of detail. —James Smith
Excellent delivery and materials. Simple yet complete. —Tom Miller
Highly recommend this course if you're new to project management. It's simple and to the point. No fluff - just 'how to.' Use it as a guide for your team - so they can start (and complete) a project fast. Great job. —Learning Learning
Start Writing Your Project Charters!
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FAQ
What if I've never created a project charter?
How long will I have access to this course?
Will I get future updates to this course?
Can I take the course at my own pace?
So, where is the Project Sponsor?
Does this work for Agile?
Our organization does not create project charters. Is it really worth the effort?
Copyright 2019, Harry Hall, LLC
