Let’s imagine that I’m the project manager at Office Green, LLC, a commercial landscaping company that specializes in plant decor for offices and other businesses. The company is getting ready to introduce its new “Plant Pals” service, which will provide high-volume customers with small, low-maintenance desk-friendly plants, such as little cacti and leafy ferns. As the project manager, I’ve been assigned to manage the rollout of this new service.

Leading the initiation phase

The initiation phase is where the seeds of a successful project are sown. It marks the first critical stage of the project management lifecycle, where the foundation for the entire project is set. During this phase, the project is defined, planned, and approved before moving to the execution phase. The initiation phase is also the time when the business problem or opportunity is identified and a project team is formed to build and deliver the solution. It’s important to ensure that all stakeholders are involved and informed during this phase to ensure buy-in and alignment with project goals. This sets the stage for successful planning and execution phases, where the project is planned in more detail and then put into action.

In the case of the Plant Pals project, I’ll work with the sponsor and stakeholders to set the goals, scope, roles, and deliverables for the project. This stage helps ensure that everyone involved in the project is on the same page and that there’s a clear understanding of what the project will entail. By defining these elements early on in the project, I set the project up for success and help avoid misunderstandings and conflicts later on.

1 – Refining goals with stakeholders

First, I’ll meet with the Director of Product (the project sponsor) to discuss his aims for the project. To clarify these goals and keep the project on track, I’ll turn them into SMART goals.

The project goal is the desired outcome of the project that is established at the beginning of the project and serves as a guiding principle throughout the project’s lifecycle. The project goal defines what the project is intended to achieve, and it provides a clear understanding of what success looks like for the project team and stakeholders. The project goal should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) to ensure that the project team can effectively plan, execute and monitor the project to achieve the desired outcome.

In this case, Office Green’s main goal for the Plant Pals project is: “Increase revenue by 5% by the end of the year by rolling out a new service that provides office plants to high-volume clients”. I recently met with the project sponsor to discuss two additional goals for the Plant Pals project:

1. “Boost Office Green’s brand awareness”.
2. “Raise Office Green’s customer retention rate”.

Neither of them meets all the SMART criteria. They don’t indicate how Office Green will do it, whether it’s possible, why it’s important, or when they’ll get it done. In order to help my team achieve these two additional project goals, I need to turn them into SMART goals:

1. “Boost Office Green’s brand awareness through a new marketing and sales strategy and a new landing page featuring the Plant Pals service, that will increase unique page visits by at least 2K visits each month by the end of the year”.
2. “Raise Office Green’s customer retention rate by at least 10% through implementing a new Operations and Training plan for the Plant Pals service by the end of the year”.

To rewrite them, I used the notes below from my meeting with the Director of Product.

Setting clear and specific goals is crucial for achieving success in any project. However, simply having a general idea of what the company wants to achieve is not enough. I need to establish SMART goals to give ourselves a clear roadmap for success. The SMART goal-setting method provides a structured approach to defining our goals, which makes them easier to communicate, track progress, and measure success. That is, well-defined SMART goals are:

• Specific: A specific goal is clear and has no ambiguity for the project team to misinterpret. It should answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how.
• Measurable: A measurable goal is one that can be tracked and quantified. It should have specific metrics or indicators to measure progress and success.
• Attainable: An attainable goal is realistic and achievable. It should be challenging to encourage growth but not impossible or too extreme.
• Relevant: A relevant goal is one that aligns with the organization’s strategic plan and supports the project charter. It should be meaningful and important to the organization.
• Time-bound: A time-bound goal has a specific deadline or timeframe. It should have a sense of urgency and a deadline to create a sense of accountability.

This document shows the revised version of the two additional goals above using the SMART goal-setting method and explains why they are well-defined: SMART goals.

2 – Assessing stakeholder power and influence

Next, I’ll get to know some of my stakeholders and find out how they fit into the project. A stakeholder analysis and power grid will help me decide how best—and how often—to communicate with team members, investors, and more.

As a project manager, it’s important to understand how each stakeholder relates to the project. A stakeholder analysis is a process that helps a project manager identify and assess stakeholders who may be affected by or have an impact on the project. The analysis helps the project manager to identify their roles, interests, concerns, and level of influence on the project. By understanding the stakeholders’ needs, the project manager can effectively communicate with them, manage their expectations, and address their concerns.

Additionally, the power grid is a tool used in stakeholder analysis that helps to classify stakeholders based on their level of power and interest in the project. The power grid identifies stakeholders who are critical to the project’s success and those who may be less influential. This grid allows the project manager to prioritize communication and engagement efforts with the stakeholders who have the most significant impact on the project’s outcome.

That said, Office Green is getting ready to introduce its new Plant Pals service, and, as the project manager at the company, I’ll manage the launch. My team and I need to maintain trust and generate buy-in from our stakeholders. Some of them include the Director of Product, Landscape Designer/Web Designer, existing clients and their employees, Office Green’s investors, and receptionist.

The stakeholder analysis includes all five stakeholders and lists the following elements:

• Information on each stakeholder’s role, resources, potential resistance, and engagement.
• Each stakeholder’s level of power or influence is either low, medium, or high.
• Each stakeholder’s level of interest is either low, medium, or high.

The power grid contains also all these stakeholders and their positions corresponding to their level of interest and influence, as stated in my stakeholder analysis.

This document outlines both the stakeholder analysis and power grid within the Plant Pals project: Stakeholder Analysis and Power Grid.

3 – Assigning roles and responsibilities to promote the service

To promote Plant Pals, I’ll assemble teams to plan the marketing and sales strategy and redesign the website. I’ll use RACI charts to determine who should be responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed about various project tasks.

A RACI chart is a matrix used to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in a project. The acronym stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. The project manager uses the RACI chart to ensure that each stakeholder is clear about their role in the project and their responsibilities for specific tasks and deliverables.

The “Responsible” stakeholder is the one who performs the task or work item, while the “Accountable” stakeholder is the one who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the work is completed on time and to the expected quality level. The “Consulted” stakeholders are those who provide input or expertise, and the “Informed” stakeholders are those who need to be kept up-to-date on project progress but are not involved in the decision-making process.

By using a RACI chart, the project manager can ensure that each stakeholder is aware of their role and responsibilities and can be held accountable for their assigned tasks. It helps to avoid confusion and miscommunication and ensures that everyone is working towards the same project goals.

Now, as the project manager for Plant Pals, I’m managing the launch of this new service. For this purpose, I must assemble a team that can develop and execute the marketing and sales strategy to prepare for the launch. This effort marks the start of Phase 1 of the launch project, which is critical for generating interest and excitement for the new service. The team’s goal is to effectively communicate Plant Pals’ unique value proposition and features to potential customers while generating a buzz and interest in the marketplace. Besides, I must assign roles and responsibilities for each of the project tasks and identify stakeholders impacted by the project.

I’ve determined that the following team members will be involved to develop and execute the marketing strategy and sales: Director of Product, Marketing Manager, Marketing Coordinator, Copywriter, Head of Sales, and Sales Manager. They must complete the following tasks and deliverables:

• Create a marketing plan for the new service.
• Write promotional copy.
• Design marketing assets (e.g., flyers, brochures, and online advertisements).
• Create a customer outreach and onboarding plan.

The completed RACI chart for Phase 1 of the Plant Pals project launch addresses the following elements:

• It includes all of the project roles and tasks/deliverables stated above.
• The appropriate individuals are listed as Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.
• Only one individual is accountable for each task or deliverable.
• At least one individual is responsible for each task.

This document includes the RACI chart for the marketing and sales strategy for Phase 1 of the Plant Pals launch, along with the detailed roles and responsibilities of each team member: RACI Chart – Phase 1.

After completing the marketing and sales strategy for Phase 1 of the Plant Pals launch, I will shift my focus to Phase 2, which involves creating the landing page. Previously during Phase 1, I collaborated with my project team on developing a marketing plan, writing promotional copy, designing marketing assets, and creating a sales plan for customer outreach. For Phase 2, I’m currently assembling a new team to design and develop the landing page. This page will serve as the first point of contact for potential customers who click on Plant Pals advertisements and will be hosted on the Office Green website.

The team members I gathered to build and launch the landing page are the following: Web Manager, Graphic Designer, Web Developer, Quality Assurance Tester, Content Writer, and Web Designer. They need to accomplish the following tasks and deliverables:

• Design a landing page.
• Create a landing page mockup.
• Design image assets.
• Write content.
• Code the landing page.
• Test the landing page.

Likewise, the completed RACI chart for Phase 2 of the Plant Pals project launch addresses the following elements:

• It includes all of the project roles and tasks/deliverables stated above.
• The appropriate individuals are listed as Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.
• Only one individual is accountable for each task or deliverable.
• At least one individual is responsible for each task.

This document includes the RACI chart for the creation of the landing page for Phase 2 of the Plant Pals launch, along with the detailed roles and responsibilities of each team member: RACI Chart – Phase 2.

4 – Create a charter for the next stage of the project

As I wrap up the initiation phase, my focus will shift to internal operations. I’ll create a project charter to guide my team as they plan training, fulfillment, and delivery procedures for Plant Pals.

A project charter is a document that outlines the project’s purpose, scope, objectives, and stakeholders. It provides a clear and concise understanding of what the project aims to achieve and how it will be executed. The charter also outlines the project’s timelines, budget, risks, assumptions, constraints, and success criteria. Besides, it serves as a reference point for all stakeholders involved in the project, including the project team, sponsors, clients, and other stakeholders. It provides clarity on what the project aims to accomplish and the resources required to achieve the project’s goals. Having a well-defined project charter is crucial for project success because it sets the tone and expectations for the entire project, and helps to align everyone involved in the project towards a common goal. The charter provides a clear roadmap for the project team and stakeholders to follow, helping to prevent scope creep and ensuring that everyone involved in the project is working towards the same objectives.

Now, as the Plant Pals project manager, one of my responsibilities is building an Operations and Training plan for the new service. The creation and implementation of this plan mark a new stage of the Plant Pals project with its own set of goals and deliverables. Its main goal is to create sustainable fulfillment and delivery practices for the service’s day-to-day operations. Putting these processes in place is essential to making a launch of this size successful.

To meet this goal, my team will create internal processes and training procedures for support teams, so they can meet the demands of the Plant Pals service. These processes will help mitigate potential revenue losses due to late shipments and cancellations by ensuring an efficient, high-quality customer experience. By ensuring that Plant Pals runs smoothly, the plan also supports the larger project goal of a 5% revenue increase for Office Green.

I estimated that it will take six months to fully implement all protocols, including setting up operational tools, putting delivery processes in place, and training employees. The Operations and Training plan should stay within a budget of $75,000.

Some of the milestones my team must reach to complete this project include:

• Create a plant delivery and logistics plan to make the fulfillment process as efficient as possible. Our target is to deliver 95% of orders on time within one month of launch. Tasks include purchasing delivery trucks, hiring drivers, and calculating delivery fees.
• Set up order processing and supply chain management software to make revenue streams more efficient. My team must select, install, and maintain the software to ensure it continues to function properly. If it does, all orders should be packaged and ready for shipment within two business days of being placed.
• Maintain excellent service standards by developing and launching an employee training program. We want to train 90% of employees before the official service launch. To reach this milestone, my team needs to create a communications plan, prepare training lessons, and schedule and conduct training sessions.

As stated earlier, my next focus is on internal operations as I finalize the initiation phase of the project. To guide my team in planning training, fulfillment, and delivery procedures for Plant Pals, I’ll create a project charter that aligns stakeholders and maps out what my team needs to know to create and implement the plan.

The completed project charter encompasses the following aspects:

• The executive summary outlines the project’s purpose and desired outcomes.
• The project goal meets all five SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
• There are three deliverables that represent tangible or intangible project outcomes.
• There is a clear business case that explains the reason for initiating the project and how it supports the company’s overall success.
• There are two success criteria that indicate how to measure project success.

This document includes the project charter for Operations and Training plan for the Plant Pals service: Project Charter.

Next steps: Planning, execution, and closing phases

As the Plant Pals project progresses, the next steps will include the planning, execution, and closing phases, each with its own unique set of challenges and goals.

To learn more about the planning phase of the Plant Pals project, please navigate to Part 2: Plant Pals – Part 2.

To learn more about the execution and closing phases of the Plant Pals project, please navigate to Part 3: Plant Pals – Part 3.

Appendix: Ready-to-use project templates

In addition to detailing the Project Plant Pals scenario, I’ve included an appendix of ready-to-use project templates I’ve worked with throughout this process. As an aspiring project manager, I understand the importance of having the right tools and templates to ensure project success. That’s why I’ve compiled and organized a set of 17 essential project templates that cover all aspects of the project lifecycle, from initiation to closing. These blank yet important templates are available in one convenient folder, which includes the project charter, stakeholder analysis, risk management plan, project plan, project closeout report, and more.

Here are the links to each of the templates included in the folder:

• Stakeholder Analysis and Power Grid
• RACI Chart
• Project Charter
• WBS Part 1 – Brainstorm Diagram
• WBS Part 2 – Project Tasks and Milestones
• Gantt Chart
• Project Budget
• Statement of Work (SoW)
• Risk Management Plan
• Communication Plan
• Project Plan
• Project Status Report
• ROAM Analysis
• Survey Results Presentation
• Meeting Agenda
• Project Closeout Report

By providing these templates, I hope to demonstrate my skills in project management and support the success of future projects.

Featured image by Freepik. Used for display purposes.
Last updated: March 13th, 2023.