Planning

No manager is an island. Projects are collaborative efforts.

As a designer I never appreciated the how difficult it was to define the products I was asked to design. For instance, it wasn't until I moved into Product Management that I learned Project Charters weren't just a document I routinely had to wait on before the project could begin. In addition to defining the project's purpose, objectives, and goals - the Charter identified the stakeholders. You know, those people who have the most to gain or lose from the project's success or failure. I was able to write more effective project management plans armed with this information.

If I was unsure if we were headed in the right direction, the Project Charter helped me cut through the chaff to verify whether we still had a shared understanding of the goals, objectives, and resources required to pull it all off. The Charter was indeed an integral element for product planning.

Defense Health Agency Transition Plan