The art & science of project planning

The clock is ticking, and everyone's eyes are on you.

As a project manager, your reputation hinges on your ability to plan and deliver.

But with countless methods, tools, and variables, where do you even begin?

In today's issue, we're breaking down the first principles of project planning. I'll show you two completely different and proven methods to plan your project in time and answer the all-important “When” question.

Now, I hear you thinking…

“Wait - are we making a Gantt chart?”

Maybe.

Let me explain:

I’m known for bashing Gantt charts. But they have their place in project management. I don’t have anything against Gantt charts as a tool, but I have major issues with the pedestal they’re placed on.

They’re not a silver bullet that most executives and beginning project managers think they are.

If you’re building a bridge, sure, make one. You’ll have a critical path, dependencies, subcontractors, low uncertainty, high risk, and a complete design at the start.

But the higher the uncertainty, the more flexible your plan should be.

(Note how I said flexible there, and not Agile. Just like a Gantt chart, Agile is a tool, but not a one-size-fits-all answer.)

I’m working on an in-depth piece about different styles of planning. From traditional waterfall-style plans to full Agile. It’ll go deep into the differences, pros and cons, and which one to choose when.

But for today, the details and frameworks you use don’t matter.

This series is about the first principles of project management. And “When” is one of those fundamental questions we need to answer when planning a project.

Your four variables

As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, every project has 4 variables you can play with:

1. Time

2. Scope

3. Quality

4. Budget

Fixing any one of these means that change will have to come from the other variables. For planning, this means there are two common ways to plan a project: fixed time or flexible time:

1. Deadline-Driven Planning: In this approach, you start with the deadline set by your executive sponsor. With time fixed, you'll need to reverse-engineer the milestones based on the deliverables from the scope. This means scope, cost, and quality become the variables you'll need to manage. It's a great option when meeting the deadline is critical, and your team must adapt the work to fit the timeframe.

2. Scope-Driven Planning: Begin with the scope, break it down into smaller components, and estimate how long each task will take. Put these components in order to determine the project's finishing date. Here, time remains a variable, and you fix the other variables. This method works great when the project's primary focus is on delivering a specific set of features or outcomes and you can adjust the timeline as needed.

In reality, you’re probably dealing with a mix of these.

Your sponsor sets a deadline but also expects all bells ‘n whistles, and it has to be cheap and high-quality too. This is the starting point of your negotiation about the plan.

There’s no right or wrong, and the exact outcome doesn’t matter all that much.

What matters is that all parties feel heard, and agree on the same expectations. From your sponsor to your team and key stakeholders - this is the moment you set yourself up for success or failure by accepting a deadline.

The magic is in the planning, not the plan

The analysis, conversations, and decisions you make now allow you to adjust in the future. A plan, whatever format you choose, is just an artifact. A way of storing the information from this crucial conversation.

Be prepared to make changes as priorities shift or new data comes to the surface. Stay flexible, and don't be afraid to iterate on your plan as the project progresses.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture. Keep the project’s purpose, goals, and benefits in mind. And most importantly, maintain open lines of communication with your team, stakeholders, and sponsors.

Putting it into practice

This was part 5 of our mini-series on the first principles of project management. We’ve covered Why, Who, What part 1 & part 2.

Today, we looked at “When” and looked at two main ways to answer this question.

On one end, you have deadline-driven. On the other end, you’re driven by your scope. Treat these two as two ends of a sliding scale. For each project, the sweet spot is somewhere else along this scale.

Document your timeline in whatever format you prefer or your organization requires. This plan is your starting point, and it’s what you’ll refer to when making the inevitable changes in the future.

Before we sign off, think about how you planned your current project. Would you have benefited from a more scope or deadline-driven approach?

Now that we know what & when we’ll be doing in our project, we can make our budget. How you can do that is the topic for next week’s newsletter.

Good luck, and happy planning!