Effective Techniques for Charter Creation

The quickest way to create project charters: [after creating 25+ charters in the last 3 years] I view the project initiation as a compass, not just a formality. Then, I begin with the end in mind. This method: -Aligns stakeholders -Sets clear objectives -Maps out project boundaries -Identifies potential risks -Establishes authority and accountability Here's each step of my charter creation: 1. Objective Define the core purpose: -Why is this project essential? -What business problem does it address? -Articulate the expected outcome: -Desired end state after project completion -Key performance indicators to measure 2. Scope Detail out project boundaries: -Inclusions: What's part of the project? -Exclusions: What's out of scope? Establish the deliverables: -Tangible outputs -Milestones to reach -Stakeholders Identify key players: -Who will benefit from this project? -Who has influence over its outcome? 3. Outline roles and responsibilities: -Who’s doing what? -Who holds which authority? 4. Risks & Assumptions Highlight potential pitfalls: -What might derail the project? -Assumptions made and their validation Plan for contingencies: -Risk mitigation strategies -Backup plans 5. Resources Allocate essentials: -Budgetary constraints -Required tools and technology -Team members and their skillsets 6. Timeline Breakdown of project lifecycle: -Start and end dates -Major phase completion dates -Dependencies between tasks 7. Communication Define the communication plan: -Who gets updated and when? -Preferred communication channels 8. Approval Establish authority: -Who signs off on project decisions? -Acceptance criteria for deliverables Outline the revision process: -Feedback loop -Change request protocol 9. Documentation & Archiving Detail out the documentation process: -Where are project files stored? -How to access historical data Establish a post-project review plan: -Lessons learned -Feedback collection -Continuous improvement Follow this charter framework to kick-start your projects with clarity and purpose. What are your project charter best practices?  Leave a reply in the comment section.

The living compass: Updating your project charter for enduring success Ever seen a project charter gather dust, leading to scope creep or misalignment? As project leaders, we know it's a living compass, guiding decision-making and defining project success. Its evolution throughout the lifecycle is crucial; a static charter invites challenges. The discipline of reviewing and updating your project charter is fundamental for navigating complexity and maintaining strategic alignment. It’s a core problem-solving practice that keeps projects relevant and impactful. Here’s my blueprint: 📌Review regularly: Don't just file it. Schedule periodic reviews (e.g., at phase gates, major changes) to ensure objectives, scope, and deliverables align with evolving business needs. This is proactive risk management. 📌Update as needed: Treat the charter as a living document. Any significant changes (objectives, deliverables, stakeholders, budget, strategy) warrant a formal update. It's your single source of truth. 📌Involve stakeholders: Non-negotiable. Major updates require collaborative input and formal buy-in, especially from the sponsor. Shared ownership fosters trust and commitment to the revised path. 📌Align with your plan: The updated charter must meticulously align with all subsidiary project management plans (scope, schedule, budget, risk, communication) to prevent fragmentation and ensure tactical plans follow strategic direction. 📌Validate outcomes: At project closure, revisit the final charter to validate if defined objectives and anticipated benefits were achieved. This links to benefits realization and informs future initiatives. 📌Archive (Lessons learned): Once closed, archive the final charter. It's a valuable historical record for future reference, lessons learned, and organizational memory, contributing to continuous improvement. Here’s what else to consider: ✔️Communication tool: An updated charter is a powerful, concise tool to quickly re-align team members and stakeholders on the current "why" and "what" during change. ✔️Lightweight for agility: In agile environments, adapt the charter's spirit (vision, scope, success metrics) into a more lightweight, living document that aligns with iterative delivery. Ultimately, a well-managed project charter isn't just paperwork; it's a dynamic instrument of project leadership that empowers us to adapt, control, and consistently drive projects towards their intended, evolving project success. What's one time a charter update (or lack thereof) significantly impacted your project? Share your experiences below! 👇 #ProjectManagement #ProjectCharter #ProjectLeadership #StakeholderManagement #RiskManagement #Communication #ProblemSolving #ProjectSuccess #Transparency #ContinuousImprovement #AgilePM

𝟭𝟬 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 You’re told to “create a charter.” Cool. You Google a template.Fill in the name. Dates. Scope. Team. Done, right? Not really! A good charter doesn’t just outline the project—it protects it. It’s your first line of defense against chaos. Here are 10 rules I’ve learned (some the hard way): 👇 𝟭️ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 “𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲”—𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁. Clarity isn't just saying YES. It's setting boundaries. 𝟮️ 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀. “The client” is vague. “Susan (VP - Client Ops)” is accountable. 𝟯️ 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀. Because “everyone knows” turns into “no one said” real fast. 𝟰️ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆. If no one knows why the project exists, it’ll lose momentum the second things get hard. 𝟱️ 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵. 𝗡𝗼𝘄. Don’t wait for the crisis. Plan for it. 𝟲️ 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 “𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆.” They always seem unlikely—until they show up mid-sprint. 𝟳️ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. Is it the PM? Product Owner? Client? No decision gets made if five people “sort of own it.” 𝟴️ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. If they don’t comment now, they’ll complain later. 𝟵️ 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Nobody is reading your 14-page doc with size 10 font. If it’s not clear in 3-5 pages, it’s a risk. 10 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Because when things go off the rails (they will), this is the document you’ll go back to. 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘔𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳—𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥.

🔍 The Anatomy of a Perfect Voyage Charter Agreement Every successful voyage begins with a rock-solid agreement. In my years of working as a shipbroker, I’ve honed a systematic approach that ensures each charter agreement sets the stage for smooth operations. Here’s the framework I use to deliver results: 1️⃣ Understanding the Client’s Needs: Freight costs are often the most critical factor, and to get a vessel in time for laycan but flexibility within the laycan can be just as important. This flexibility helps charterers and owners navigate logistical challenges and maintain efficiency. 2️⃣ Ensuring Transparency in Terms: Clear, unambiguous clauses that outline responsibilities, timelines, and contingencies are critical to avoiding disputes. For instance, including specific weather clauses or ice clauses for ports prone to such conditions ensures smooth execution. 3️⃣ Mitigating Risks Proactively: Incorporating clauses for unexpected events like delays, port congestion, or adverse weather ensures smooth execution under all scenarios. Addressing these potential issues upfront reduces operational hiccups. 4️⃣ Facilitating Seamless Communication: Acting as the bridge between owners and charterers, I ensure both parties are aligned from nomination to completion. Transparent communication minimizes misunderstandings and builds trust. When these elements are in place, agreements become more than documents – they’re blueprints for success. Want to learn more about how this method could work for you? Let’s connect and discuss your next move. #ShippingExpertise #CharteringStrategy #TankerShipping #VoyageSuccess

If you don’t start the year with an enablement charter, you’re not starting with a strategy, you’re starting with a to-do list. Especially in Q4, my team works with organizations who are already feeling the pressure of the year ahead. New revenue targets. New product priorities. New skills the field needs. And the same old question: Where do we even begin? Most teams jump straight into planning enablement and trainings, updating decks, or building content. It feels productive, but it isn’t strategic. What actually creates alignment is the thing most teams skip: A clear, agreed-upon Enablement Charter. The charter is the document that forces the hard conversations early. It surfaces misalignment. It defines what enablement is responsible for and equally important, what it is not. It creates a single source of truth leaders can point to before priorities start shifting and the year becomes reactive. A strong charter answers four core questions: ✅ What is the mission of enablement in this company, this year? ✅ What business outcomes are we directly responsible for influencing? ✅ What strategies and programs will drive those outcomes? ✅ What metrics will prove whether it worked? When teams skip this step, you see the symptoms immediately. Endless requests. Conflicting priorities. Fire drills. A backlog with no strategic filter. Leaders frustrated because they “don’t know what enablement is working on.” Teams overwhelmed because they’re pulled into everything. When teams start with a charter, you see the opposite. Clarity. Focus. Confidence. Real alignment with the revenue engine. And most importantly: meaningful, measurable impact. If you haven’t started drafting your charter yet, now is the time. Block 90 minutes this week and get your first version on paper. Perfection isn’t the goal. Alignment is. If you want help or a framework to start from, my team and I do this work every day with clients, from first-time enablement leaders to global enterprises formalizing the function for the first time. Ping me if you want to talk through it. Strong years start with strong foundations. The charter is yours. #enablement #salesenablement #enablementcharter #strategicenablementservices

Imagine an NFL team showing up on game day with no playbook. No shared scheme. No clarity on roles. No agreed way to respond when the opponent puts them on their heels. Everyone is talented and everyone is certainly trying hard. But each person is running their own version of the play. That is backyard football, not professional sports. And yet, from my experience, this is exactly how many leadership teams operate. They press forward without shared agreements, relying largely on personal style rather than a shared approach. Creating a Team Charter is a great way to begin building momentum towards becoming a more aligned team. Here are the five parts of a strong Charter: 1. Team Purpose: Why do we exist and what are we collectively responsible for? Example: stewarding organizational health, strategy, and clarity of focus. 2. Core Commitments: How will we show up for one another? Examples: Accountability with care, open disagreement, unified decisions. 3. Collaboration Systems: How does work actually get done? Examples: Clear meeting rhythms, communication norms, and decision practices. 4. Frameworks and Tools: What shared mental models will guide us? Examples: 5 Voices, 6 Levers, Leadership Health Diagnostic 5. Teamship Renewal: How will we keep our agreements alive? Examples: Quarterly review, updating commitments, annual purpose reset. The image here offers some more detail of examples within a team charter. One thing to note, even though this is formatted as a nice visual, ideally charters live in a shared tech collaboration tool, like Coda or Notion, where members of the team can easily update them at agreed upon rhythms. If you want a sample charter or help building one, feel free to reach out.

Most failed projects never lacked a plan — they lacked agreement. A project charter isn’t paperwork. It’s the invisible contract that aligns every stakeholder before chaos starts. It defines: - Why this project exists (purpose) - Who owns what (accountability) - How success will be measured (outcomes) I’ve seen teams skip this step because “we need to start fast. ” They end up starting twice — once to build, once to fix. But too often, teams skip this step because “ we need to start fast. ” The truth? They end up starting twice — once to build, once to fix. If you want to lead with clarity, start with alignment. Your first deliverable isn’t the Gantt chart — it’s shared understanding. Here are 3 ways to make your project charter actually work: ✅ 1. Make it outcome-driven, not output-driven. Most charters focus on what will be delivered — timelines, budgets, tasks. Shift to why it matters. Define the problem it solves and what success looks like in behavior or adoption. - Instead of “Deliver new CRM,” say “Increase user adoption by 25% within 3 months.” ✅ 2. Co-create, don’t delegate. A charter written for stakeholders dies fast. A charter written with stakeholders lives. Run a short alignment session before writing — get your sponsor, users, and leads to co-own the “why” and the “how.” - The goal: fewer sign-offs, more buy-in. ✅ 3. Keep it human-readable. If people can’t skim it, they won’t follow it. Use one page, plain language, and visuals (timeline, ownership chart, success metrics). A charter is not a report — it’s a roadmap for humans. - Ask yourself: “Could my team summarize this in 30 seconds?” If not, simplify. Because in the end — a good charter isn’t about process. It’s about clarity, ownership, and trust. 📈 Start with alignment. Delivery gets easier from there. #ProjectManagement #WGU #PMP #Leadership #ProjectCharter #Delivery

Key Elements of a Powerful Agile Team Charter 📌 1. Purpose What contribution does the team make? How do we create impact? 📌 2. Team Type & Responsibilities What areas of the solution are we responsible for? What’s our role within the broader organization? 📌 3. Working Agreements How do we collaborate to create a positive, productive environment? (This is crucial for fostering trust and ownership.) 📌 4. Success Measures What are our key indicators of success? How do we track progress? 📌 5. Definition of Done What criteria must be met for work to be accepted? (This prevents ambiguity and rework.) 📌 6. Key Interactions Which teams do we need to work closely with? 📌 7. Key Stakeholders Who are our key stakeholders, and how will we keep them informed? 📌 8. Team Members Who’s on the team? What are their roles and responsibilities? 📌 9. Distinctive Competencies What are we uniquely good at? What can we help others with? 📌 10. Team Events When and how do we meet, plan, and inspect progress? Agile Success Begins with Alignment A team without a charter is like a ship without a compass It may move, but without direction. Setting up an Agile Team Charter isn’t a one-time activity; it should evolve as the team grows, faces challenges, and learns. Does your team have a charter? If so, how has it helped? If not, what’s stopping you from creating one? Let’s discuss!

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫? A Project Charter is the foundation of any successful project. It formally sanctions the project, outlines its objectives, and identifies the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders. Without a clear charter, projects are likely to suffer from misalignment, scope creep, and lack of adequate stakeholder support. It's most project managers' attitude: the charter is just another sheet of paper. But it helps you get permission, alignment, and direction before you begin the work. Why You Need a Project Charter Stakeholder buy-in is the very first and primary goal of a Project Charter. Without a clear document explaining purpose and value, approval and acquiring resources are difficult. A sound charter provides guidance on scope, deliverables, and measures of success, so everyone is working towards the same goal. Apart from approval, a Project Charter is also a direction document throughout the project. When things go wrong—scope creep or budget troubles—the charter holds teams accountable and makes sound decisions. It is not a document to be used once; it is a point of reference throughout the entire project. The Most Important Parts of a Successful Project Charter Project Overview – A brief description of the purpose and goals of the project. Scope Definition – Specify what is in and what is out to avoid confusion. Stakeholders & Responsibilities – Determine major stakeholders, sponsors, and project team members. Business Case – Describe why this project is needed and how it aligns with business objectives. Risks & Constraints – Determine potential issues early to create risk mitigation plans. Budget & Timeline – Give a rough estimate of costs and project length. Best Project Charter Writing Practices One of the most common errors project managers commit is crafting a too-verbose and terminological charter. Decision-makers wouldn't have the time to get through thick texts, so cut it short and to the point. Use simple and precise words so that anyone for whom the charter is drawn can have a ready understanding of the charter. Instead of saying, "The project is aimed at creating operational efficiencies," say, "This project will improve workflows and reduce costs." The active voice in writing makes it easier to read and comprehend the charter. Also, keep the charter easy to read. Provide concise headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points to make the document easy to read. An organized document helps increase the approval chances by the stakeholders. Project Charter is no ritual—it is the door opener to approval, team alignment, and success. Done correctly, it is a strategic roadmap that keeps teams pointed in the direction of success and projects on schedule.

Earlier this week I hopped on a call with a friend stepping into her first founding PMM role. She’s spent most of her career inside large, public companies — so this is a completely different muscle. After her listening tour, she walked away with a list of 10+ P0s. Which… is a lot. She asked how I’ve navigated similar situations, so here’s what I shared: 1️⃣ Align with leadership Before you touch anything, bring your learnings back to the people who hired you. The temptation to dive in is real, but you need clarity on what outcomes they expect you to drive. This is where you sync on priorities, negotiate scope, and set expectations. And if it were me, I wouldn’t commit to more than three big rocks in a quarter. 2️⃣ Create a charter People tend to fill the PMM gap with their own assumptions — and those assumptions don’t always match what you plan to do. A charter cuts through that. It defines the lanes you own (and don’t), how you partner with other teams, and what success looks like. Socialize it broadly and get buy-in early. Shout out to Jason Oakley and the PMM Jetpack template for giving PMMs a starting point — and to Josh Chronister and Alex Eaton for sharing their charters publicly. 3️⃣ Find a quick win (or two) Your listening tour will surface a mix of existential problems and small-but-painful gaps people have just learned to live with. Start there. Look for the low-lift projects with the widest impact — the things you can tighten up in a week or two that immediately make someone’s day easier. Those early wins buy you trust while the bigger work is still taking shape.