The Project Plan: Turning Chaos Into a To-Do List With Dates
By now, you’ve survived being volunteered, run your first few meetings, and even learned how to smile at stakeholders without crying inside.
Now comes the part where everyone turns to you and says:
“So… what’s the plan?”
Translation: You need a project plan, yesterday.
1. A Project Plan Is Basically a Fancy To-Do List
Don’t let the term scare you. At its core, a project plan is just:
- What needs to be done
- Who’s doing it
- When it’s due
That’s it. It’s not mystical. It’s not rocket science. (Unless you are managing a rocket launch. Then, uh… good luck.)
2. Break Big Things Into Smaller Things
“Launch the new website” is not a task.
“Write content for homepage,” “design contact form,” and “test links” are tasks.
Think less “epic saga” and more “bite-sized checkboxes.”
3. Dates Are Your Best Friend (and Worst Enemy)
Without dates, your plan is just a wish list.
But beware: the moment you put a date down, people will cling to it like it’s written in stone tablets.
Tip: Add some wiggle room. Life happens.
4. Assign Owners (Not “Everyone”)
If a task is assigned to “the team,” guess what? No one does it.
Every task needs a name next to it. One person. No hiding.
5. Use a Tool (Any Tool)
You don’t need fancy software to plan.
- Excel? Works fine.
- Sticky notes on a wall? Beautiful.
- A napkin with boxes and arrows? If it gets the job done, go for it.
The tool matters less than actually using it.
6. Share It — Then Update It
The plan isn’t for your eyes only. Share it so everyone knows what’s happening.
And update it. Because nothing’s worse than presenting a plan that’s been outdated since last Tuesday.
Closing Thought
A project plan doesn’t eliminate chaos. It just organizes the chaos into neat little boxes with deadlines. And for a volunteer-told PM, that’s more than half the battle.
This was Chapter Four of The Bible of the Volunteer-Told Project Manager.
Stay tuned for Chapter Five: “The Art of the Status Report: Making Updates Sound Way More Interesting Than They Are.”