As I reviewed the most popular pages on my website in 2017, I found that the Rock Project Plan was the most visited page. I was surprised at first, but the more I thought about the leaders I had coached, taught, and mentored in 2017 and the challenges they faced, the more it made sense.
The fundamental thing your people need to understand is how to predict and plan how the work of a project will get done. Creating a project plan is a great way to organize this information and break down a goal into actionable steps and accountable owners.
Two things that are driven by a project plan:
- The foundation of accountability, i.e. the goal and the specific work that has to happen to complete the task
- Multiple moments where “I need help” can be said
All leaders are helped by #1, because it creates conditions that are easier for them to manage.
All individuals are helped by #2, because the hardest words for the leaders I coach to say are “I need help.” This impacts your team’s outlook because if they see you as resistant to asking for help, they interpret that as not being okay. Here is an example – I did a feedback session with a leader and their team where each person had the chance to give and receive feedback to every other person through answering the question: What is one thing [person’s name] could START or STOP doing in 2018 for the greater good of this team? The overwhelming message people told their leader in the feedback – we see you being stressed and busy, and you need to START asking for help because we want to help you! Hidden benefit – a project plan of any type drives teamwork too!
All this from a little old project plan. Practice and teach this skill in 2018 and reap the benefits of performance AND teamwork!
So you understand the following templates, in EOS® we call the most important work for the next 90 days ‘Rocks’. All Rocks need a basic project plan. Here are free templates I share to help you be the most effective leader/manager you can be.
- Rocks 2.0: Rock Project Plan
- Rocks 2.0: Rock Hardening Process (give Rock owners a chance to finalize their commitment)
- Rocks 3.0: Advanced Project Plan (here is an example of a completed plan)
View all of the 25+ FREE templates. I share them to equip aspiring and committed people-centered leaders. Lead well!