Creating a Project Charter

My team and I once tried to hand-wave our way past Jeff Bezos with a large headcount request. He asked one question, was disappointed by the answer, and dug deeper. After a weak answer to question two, it was game over. Jeff declared that he trusted NONE of our proposal and sent us back, telling us, "Break down your requests to no more than 2 or 3 heads, tops, per line item. Then explain exactly what these small buckets will do." Once we did this, he went through the request line by line, telling us what we could and could not have. Overall, it was probably the most brutal experience I had with him in my 15 years at Amazon. While some people will read this and feel it was micromanagement, he was entirely right. We thought we had a blank check, so we made a big, broad funding request. We learned very quickly that while Jeff supported our mission, he expected us to spend "his" money carefully. Most people think executive influence happens in the room, by talking slick or having the right alliances. While communication and connections are hugely important, most of your influence is built before the meeting starts. Getting executive buy-in comes from understanding your executives, anticipating their concerns, and structuring your message around what they value. Here are two quick specifics: 1. Preparation If you walk into a key stakeholder meeting without preparing, like I did, you’ve already lost. The first step in preparation is clarity: What are you trying to achieve, by when, and why now? Then, define exactly what you’re asking for: a decision, resources, or permission to move forward. Finally, decode the humans. What does each stakeholder care about? What do they fear? How do they make decisions? Build your case in their language and plan your approach with intention. 2. Focus on Facts Executives are moved by accurate, outcome-driven facts. Shortly after this disastrous headcount audit, I was asked to lead the global expansion of the Kindle Appstore. This required taking 55 engineers away from other executive leaders to staff our rush effort. Our team won support by anchoring on three facts: (1) Kindle’s success in the U.S. was undeniable (2) The holiday deadline couldn’t move (3) Leadership had already approved a one-year draft to make it happen. Those facts aligned perfectly with what executives valued most: growth, timing, and company priority. If you master these skills, you’ll earn trust and support from senior leaders. In large organizations, this translates to success in your projects and success in your career. I've written a much more in depth Newsletter that covers these skills and more: https://lnkd.in/geEBPazP When have you either fallen into hand-waving or had to call your team on it?

You great ideas will die without executive support. Here’s how to get it. (even when you have zero authority) Here's your playbook to sell your vision when no one reports to you: 1. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 ↪ Translate your idea into revenue, efficiency, or risk Say, "This initiative can reduce costs by 15% in Q3" ↪ Frame it through their lens Say, "Here's how this aligns with your strategic priority of..." 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↪ Pre-sell to influential stakeholders Say, "I'd love your perspective on this approach before the meeting" ↪ Create momentum before the pitch Say, "Several team leads have already expressed interest in..." 3. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 ↪ Start small, prove value Say, "Let's test this with one team for 30 days" ↪ De-risk the decision Say, "We can validate the concept with minimal resource investment" 4. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼 ↪ Give them ownership of the vision Say, "Your support could transform how we approach..." ↪ Create space for their input Say, "I'd value your guidance on how to strengthen this further" 5. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 ↪ Align with budget cycles Say, "This could impact next quarter's objectives" ↪ Match organisational momentum Say, "As we're focusing on digital transformation, this initiative..." Remember: Authority isn't given, it's earned through trust and results. Your idea's success depends less on your title and more on how you position it. What's your best tip for getting executive buy-in? ↳ Share in the comments below 🔔 Follow Mostyn Wilson for more like this. __ Want fortnightly deep dives to make you even more successful? Try the Atomic Ambition newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eE287NTG

A designer once told me, “This is amazing…but I already committed to a solution.” That’s when it clicked: Research doesn’t drive change. Alignment does. The best researchers I’ve worked with? They’re not just insightful. They’re influential. Here are 6 habits of researchers who consistently get buy-in and how to start using them today: 1. They never say “users were confused” They say: “This issue is costing us 12% of conversions.” ↳ Take one insight you’ve already shared and rewrite it using this format: Problem + Impact + Recommendation Then send it to one stakeholder as a Slack message, not a deck. 2. They don’t deliver research. They facilitate decisions They ask: “What’s the decision this team is stuck on right now?” ↳ Before every project kickoff, ask your PM: “What’s the riskiest assumption behind this decision?” Then shape your study around that. 3. They translate like hell Not “delight,” but “adoption.” Not “friction,” but “drop-off.” ↳ Pick 3 insights from your last study and rewrite them using business terms. Drop them into a meeting and watch who starts paying more attention. 4. They time it perfectly Not a 30-slide deck on a Friday. A one-sentence quote right before a roadmap review. ↳ Look ahead to next week’s big decision-making moment. Pick one insight and share it 24 hours before the meeting. Not during. Not after. 5. They repeat themselves intentionally They plant insights until someone else says it back to them. ↳ Pick one finding you want to stick. Mention it once in Slack, once in a retro, and once in a 1:1 this week. Different formats. Same message. Let it echo. 6. They stop trying to “educate stakeholders” They listen. They co-create. They shift the power dynamic. ↳ Instead of sending research after it’s done, invite a stakeholder to help design one question before it starts. You’ll double your buy-in before you even begin. You don’t need stakeholders to love research. You just need them to feel what it protects them from. If your insights are strong but your impact is quiet, making these into habits is your next step. Which of these habits are you building right now? Or what’s one you’d add to the list?

Planning a project or an initiative? If you can’t answer these 5 questions, you’re setting yourself up to fail. In the past 18 years managing #projects across different sectors, one thing stands out: The best project managers don’t start with a Gantt chart. They start by asking the right questions. And yet, I’ve seen this framework skipped… even by seasoned professionals. Let’s go back to the basics that work. Every solid project I’ve led has had clear answers to the “4W + 1H”: 1. WHY Why does this project exist? This reveals the root problem and aligns the team. No 'why', no buy-in. 2. WHAT What are we delivering? Get specific. What’s the outcome, and how will we know it’s a success? 3. WHEN When does it need to be done? Without a timebox, Parkinson’s Law kicks in: work expands to fill the time. 4. WHO Who owns the outcome? Define the single accountable person. Then clarify the team. 5. HOW How will we get there? Outline the key milestones, risks, and resources needed. This may sound basic. But you’d be surprised how many projects - yes, even in large, high-growth organizations - crumble without these hygiene factors. The moment we define these five answers clearly, we already have the foundation for a #ProjectCharter. It aligns #stakeholders. It unlocks #commitment and #budget. And most importantly, it sets the path for real execution. So before jumping into your next big initiative, pause and ask: Why, What, When, Who, and How. The strongest strategies are built on simple truths. _____ Like what you read? Then click that like button, share this post, and follow me for more pragmatic tips into #career, #leadership, and #growth.

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

DECIDE framework for aligning people around big decisions. A huge part of the PM role is making and aligning people around tough decisions. There are two halves to this: 1. Making the best call with imperfect information 2. Getting everyone bought into the decision While 1. is self-evident, 2. is equally important. Without buy-in, you'll waste huge amounts of time: • Stakeholders silently withhold resources • Decisions get revisited • Rework stacks up I use the DECIDE process for tough decisions: 𝗗 | Define problem 𝗘 | Evaluate criteria 𝗖 | Create options 𝗜 | Identify solution 𝗗 | Decide and commit 𝗘 | Engage and execute 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 Clearly define the problem you are solving: • How does this relate to company goals? • What's the context? • What does success look like? • How do you measure that? • Who are the stakeholders? • What's the timeline for deciding? 𝟮. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 How will you pick between the options? I often think of these in 3 buckets: • 𝗛𝘆𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗲 - no point considering options that don't meet these criteria • 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 - small number (2-3) of factors that options vary on • 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 - all the other factors, that seem important, but in reality don't trump the major factors The trick here is recognising that there are lots of things that seem important, but the decision almost always comes down to 2-3 critical dimensions. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Even if the answer already seems obvious, you need a list of options. Without options there is no decision or strategy. Options (even bad ones) lubricate buy-in because: • They demonstrate you've been thorough • They allow people to input into the decision 𝟰. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 This might involve: • New research • Impact modelling • Collecting existing research • Getting stakeholder input As the solution emerges you'll want to justify the recommendation with: • Clear reasoning • Evidence • Based on problem definition How thorough this needs to be depends on how contentious the issue is. 𝟱. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 Once you've found the decision you need: • Whoever has decision rights to make a formal decision • Stakeholders to commit to the decision The decision maker should be a SINGLE person identified at the problem definition stage. It's a great idea to get important stakeholders to commit in public or on paper (e.g. simple check box for each stakeholder at end of doc). This greatly reduces the chances they don't follow through later. 𝟲. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲 Once the decision is made, you need to execute. Broadcast: • The actual decision • Supporting reasoning • Next steps You've made it this far. Don't forget to close the loop! This should set you up to deliver with momentum. As always, a more detailed write up and template on Hustle Badger here: https://lnkd.in/e3tUMXyV

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.

Your brilliant strategy means nothing if Sarah from Finance, John from Legal, and the entire APAC leadership team don't fully buy in. This isn't the sexy part of business leadership, but stakeholder alignment is where market-changing initiatives live or die. I learned this the hard way at HP, navigating a project where 13 global business units were locked in a silent war over the same product. Each was convinced their perspective was the only right one. The standard approach? Endless meetings, forced consensus, and thinly-veiled power plays. Anytime lots of people need to agree, it can slow down a project—and I like hitting deadlines. So, I've developed a tactic to speed up decision-making: 1. Map the invisible battlefield first Start by understanding each stakeholder's position privately. This reveals the true constraints and red lines that would never surface in group settings. For enterprise projects, I always interview all business units separately, identify discrepancies, and then bring key findings to the global stakeholder who makes the final call. 2. Design the decision architecture The most contentious projects require clear decision rights. Establish who inputs, who recommends, who decides—and stick to it religiously. Remember: ultimately, there is someone who is the decider. The RACI chart exists for a reason. Understanding what the approver wants is critical, especially since they typically have the least time to give. 3. Create a controlled collision Once you understand the landscape, deliberately bring conflicting viewpoints into plain sight resolves issues faster when the quiet part is said out loud. In my experience, you actually get to the root of the value when people discuss in detail what's different. We specifically drive stakeholders together to discuss discrepancies we've identified. 4. Hunt for the “valuable dissenter” The loudest objector often holds crucial opinions that can elevate your entire approach—if you're willing to listen. On a recent project, there was a stakeholder who was a really “vocal” dissenter. We wanted to know why, we spent considerable time listening to understand their perspective. They didn't get everything they wanted, but they made a significant impact on the final direction—and both sides ended up satisfied. By taking the time, I am confident we delivered a better product for everyone. 5. Know when to move forward Perfect alignment is a myth. Recognize when you've reached critical mass. I've learned that if there's one dissenter out of a dozen stakeholders and everyone else is aligned—especially if the concerns aren't catastrophic—then it's usually time to move forward. These principles have helped me navigate enterprise-level projects that seemed politically impossible. What's the most difficult stakeholder alignment challenge you’ve ever faced, and how did you handle it?