How to write a project plan in 8 simple steps

Project planning is a fundamental process to ensure the success of any business initiative. A well-structured project plan provides a clear and detailed roadmap for achieving set goals, allowing for constant monitoring of progress and timely corrective actions. Thanks to this proven methodology, you will be able to plan and manage your projects with maximum efficiency, ensuring the achievement of expected results.

Step 1

Involve key stakeholders, define objectives, and gain initial approval

The first step in project planning is defining the “what” and “why.” Key stakeholders, meaning those who have the influence and authority to determine a project’s success, must be involved from the very beginning. Even if the project comes directly from the CEO, you still need to get their buy-in. Use this initial conversation to align, define objectives, and determine the project’s value. During this phase of the project planning process, discuss needs and expectations, and establish a baseline for scope, budget, and timeline. This creates a solid foundation for your project work plan. Consider using a project plan template to get started. Here are some questions to consider with stakeholders:

• How can we write a project plan that aligns with business goals?
• What are the stakeholders’ expectations? What will be required of us?
• How will you measure success?
• What are your resources?
• What tangible assets or deliverables are expected from this project?

Step 2

List objectives, align OKRs, and outline the project

According to executive leaders, a lack of clear objectives accounts for 37% of project failures. Without clear objectives, you’ll find that the requirements, tasks, and deadlines you set for your project work plan have nothing to anchor to. Now that you have a list of key stakeholder needs and their buy-in, start assigning them to objectives and OKRs. OKRs are a goal-setting and planning technique made famous by
Intel e Google. Your project should align with your team’s and company’s OKRs. Try writing down the project objectives on a project plan whiteboard and linking them to the stakeholder requirements they address. From there, build out the structure, milestones, and tasks necessary to achieve those objectives.

For example, the project or product launch itself can be a significant milestone, so it’s important to know how you’ll proceed—perhaps using a product launch plan template to simplify the process. Milestones can define checkpoints throughout the project so everyone is clear on what progress looks like, what expectations are, and when they’ll be measured.

Step 3

Create a project scope document

Now that you’ve outlined the project, aligned your tasks with objectives, and gained team buy-in, it’s time to create a project scope document that details the project elements listed in step two. Look at each tangible deliverable and define the set of tasks that must be completed to achieve it. For each task, determine the time required, the resources needed, and who will be responsible for its execution. Finalize and record the project details so everyone has a single source of truth.

Make the document easily shareable, such as within your project management tool, to reduce the risk of costly misunderstandings. While preparing project scope documentation and calculating earned value should be standard practice, one in four project managers surveyed in the Wellingstone project management status survey stated they “never” or “sometimes” prepare standard scope definition documents. Creating one will set you apart and help everyone stay on the same page.
Wellingstone stated they “never” or “sometimes” prepare standard scope definition documents. Creating one will set you apart and help everyone stay on the same page.

Step 4

Develop a detailed project schedule

With your objectives, tasks, and milestones already outlined for you, it’s time to start slotting your project into a schedule. A Gantt chart is a useful tool that helps you easily visualize your project timeline. It’s an interactive timeline that gives you a comprehensive view of project progress, scope of work, and dependencies. Dependencies are tasks that must be completed before other tasks can start. As you outline tasks, use sub-tasks to help break down larger ones into smaller ones. This can make reporting (you can check out our guide on how to write a project management report!) and resource management simpler. Let’s define them:

• Tasks:The individual jobs that people need to do to meet your objectives
• Sub-tasks:Lasting a few days each, they help break down a larger task into its smaller steps
• Milestones:Major phases or events within your project that help break it down and serve as checkpoints throughout the project lifecycle
• Tip:Want to know a little secret? As you set them, add buffers to key tasks so you have wiggle room for emergencies or unforeseen bottlenecks—like if a client needs more time for review or a team member is out sick.

In a perfect world, some tasks might take a day. So maybe you build two into your plan. There’s no need to add a buffer to every task, though—gauge the risks and add them where it makes the most sense. Your future self will thank you.

Step 5

Define Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources

Resources are the people, equipment, or money needed to complete a project. Once you’ve selected your tools and secured a budget, don’t forget your people. Even those who already know how to write a project plan and have done it a hundred times can underestimate their labor needs. A RACI chart helps you determine who will do what for your project. It’s a matrix of all the tasks of a project—paired with who is Responsible (assigned to complete the work), Accountable (has veto power/sign-off power), Consulted (must approve or provide input), and Informed (must be kept up-to-date on action or decisions).

As you begin assigning tasks, be sure to consider workload. Clarify each person’s responsibilities and expectations. Keep in mind that 95% of workers report working on more than one team or project at a time, and if projects aren’t aligned, workloads become too stressful for teams. Stress causes about 50% of workers to start looking for another job and 25% to leave their current job, according to our Stress Epidemic Report.

As you plan your project, consider how you’ll filter incoming requests that impact the project’s timeline or budget. Knowing how to calculate earned value to track the level of work completed on a project against the plan is essential. For project managers, tools like Wrike’s resource management can help you visualize tasks for your project from a team workflow perspective, giving you the visibility and flexibility to balance workloads.

Step 6

Define Communication and Check-in Process

According to McKinsey, employees spend almost 20% of the workweek searching and gathering information. Inefficient communication and collaboration are two of the biggest causes of workplace stress. When stakeholders have to dig through pages of emails or constantly ask for updates, they get frustrated, and their motivation wanes.

Mitigate frustration by keeping all project pieces—like assets, conversations, tasks, deadlines, updates, and reporting—in one place, such as a collaboration tool. This makes it easy to manage clients, track progress, share updates, and make changes. Define how everyone should communicate throughout the project, and keep it in one tool so that everyone can access the information.

Step 7

Plan for When Things Go Wrong

Even if you’re an expert and already know how to write a project plan, the truth is that all projects have twists and turns—that’s what makes them fun. You’ve given yourself some breathing room during the planning process, assured everyone knows their role, and set up communication.

Before you launch, sit down and identify potential issues like upcoming holidays for team members, vacations, or outside teams who might be involved. Set up a clear chain of command, and list key contacts within the project. Communicate risks ahead of time so that the entire team can be prepared to tackle them together.

Step 8

Host a Kickoff Party

Every successful project needs a kickoff. Host a brief meeting with key stakeholders, and have a clear agenda. Your goal should be to get everyone on the same page about goals, roles, processes, and timelines. Your agenda should include everything you’ve focused on in the previous steps:

• Define project goals and the value they bring
• List the assets the project is expected to produce
• Show the connection between stakeholder requirements and project tasks
• Show the project timeline so everyone can see dependencies and know expected dates
• Describe each stakeholder’s roles and responsibilities
• Review how and where everyone will communicate throughout the project, where they can go for information, and who to call with questions
• Discuss risks and ensure the team is prepared
• Get final buy-in!

Bonus Tip

You don’t have to start from scratch every time! Now that you know how to write a project plan that fits your team, you can copy your project plan into a template to use again and again. As you grow, you can create more templates for specific types of project plans.