Project Planning
Template

Planning & Organization Tools

A single-page framework for defining, sequencing,
and owning a project from start to finish.

Starting Right

The most common project failure pattern is not poor execution - it is poor definition at the start. When the objective is vague, milestones become arbitrary, and the team spends energy managing ambiguity rather than moving forward. When success criteria are not defined before the work begins, everyone finishes the project holding a different idea of whether it succeeded.

This template addresses the front end of a project: what you are trying to accomplish, how you will know when you have, what could go wrong, and what the first concrete steps are. Leaders who fill this out before starting typically spend less time in mid-project clarification conversations and more time in actual delivery.

The milestones table is the most important section. Milestones without owners do not get done. Owners without deadlines miss them. This template insists on both.

How to Use This Template

  1. Fill in the objective first. One or two sentences. Specific enough that someone new to the project could understand what it is about and why it matters.
  2. Write success criteria before listing milestones. Knowing what done looks like makes it easier to identify what steps lead there.
  3. Assign a real owner to every milestone. Not a team. One person who is accountable for it.
  4. Force-rank the risks. List the ones that could actually derail the project, not every possible thing that could go wrong.
  5. Commit to your first three actions before leaving this worksheet. These should be completable within the next week.
1

Project Planning Template

Project Objective

What is this project trying to accomplish? Why does it matter?

Success Criteria

How will you know this project succeeded? What are the specific, measurable outcomes?

Key Milestones
Milestone Owner Deadline Status
2

Project Planning Template (continued)

Risks & Mitigation
Risk Mitigation Strategy
Resources Needed

People (roles or names needed):

Budget or tools:

Dependencies (what needs to happen first, or what other teams are involved):

First 3 Actions
Action By When Who
3

Tandem Coaching Partners

Credentialed coaches with real-world leadership experience,
partnering with executives and organizations
to unlock sustainable growth.

Consultation

tandemcoach.co/
contact-us

Email

info@tandemcoach.co

Phone

855 51 COACH

Challenge your thinking.
Discover your capabilities.
Act on them.

Dallas, TX  |  Houston, TX  |  Worldwide Virtual