HRIS Skills of the Future - Part 2
The Power of Project Charters
The fundamentals of project management are a game changer for HR. Our work is increasingly project-focused as we implement initiatives like FLSA job updates, benefit options, and updated HR systems.
Used correctly, project management helps your projects soar and builds team confidence as you take on future endeavors.
The primary benefits of project management for HR are:
Breaking down complex initiatives into manageable tasks
Focusing on the "next right thing" instead of everything
Bringing people together to encourage team creativity and insight
Creating accountability and removing ambiguity around tasks
I will examine the most helpful HR project documents in the following articles. They are simple but require your project team to have hard conversations about what you want to achieve and how you will get there.
I experienced the benefits of project management in my first HRIS project, implementing a new Learning Management System. This experience led me to get my project management certification (PMP), and I have never looked back!
For those new to project management, check out this article and learning by PMI (Project Management Institute). https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management.
This week, we will focus on the project charter.
The Project Charter
The project charter is the most important document you will create for your project. It challenges your project team to agree on what your project is trying to accomplish and ensure it meets leadership expectations.
In a recent project I led, creating the project charter led the team to the tagline "System functionality, not (company name) mentality." This motto established a mindset for the project - decisions based on best practices, not past practices.
At the bottom, you will find a simple template for HR projects with examples based on an ATS replacement project. Here is an overview of the essential elements:
The North Star – Defining the Why
Defining the why creates purpose and encourages us to understand the problem before jumping into a solution.
Example: Make HR Tech Wizard's applicant tracking system an enjoyable experience for candidates so we can continue to attract the best candidates. Reduce the administrative burden for hiring managers and HR so we can employ people faster with less frustration.
The destination – What does success look like?
Imagine taking a holiday road trip with no location in mind. Unless you're a 20-something with endless free time, this lack of direction would result in infinite frustration for you and your traveling companions.
A project is no different.
Identifying what success looks like is a guide as you map out your project milestones and dates. The success statement should tie directly to your North Star.
Example: This project will replace our existing Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with a new ATS from Sorceror's Stone On Demand.
Your traveling companions – Project Stakeholders
Projects succeed when they have the right people involved. Think about every person or team who will touch or be affected by your project. Later, you will create a plan on how to keep them informed. You can break your Stakeholders down into:
Internal stakeholders - Your project team and HR individuals who need to provide insight, like your compensation team.
Partners - Teams outside HR like Finance or IT.
Vendors - 3rd parties like the project manager for the vendor.
Laser focus – Project Scope
Have you ever traveled with someone who planned every second of your journey? You end up rushing from place to place and leave the trip exhausted.
The same thing happens with an overly broad scope. You try to do too much, resulting in:
Time and cost overruns
Team fatigue
Potential project failure
Identifying what you DON'T want to accomplish with this project is critical. Subprojects must be evaluated for scope fit as they come up in team discussions.
Example
Dependencies, Assumptions, and Risks
Like mice, these sneaky problems can creep into your project wreaking unseen havoc. It is up to your team to identify these potential problem areas early and create a mitigation plan.
Dependencies - Tasks outside your teams’ control. Example: Legal approval to use electronic signatures on offer letters.
Assumptions - Statements about the current and future states believed to be true for the project's planning and execution to proceed. These assumptions can be about the organization's culture, available resources, stakeholder buy-in, technology, and regulatory environment.
Example:
This module will work with our existing modules
The system will be OFCCP-compliant
This system will work with our company network
Risks - Potential events or conditions that, if they occur, could affect a project's objectives. Identifying risks involves recognizing and understanding factors that could lead to deviation from the project plan or goals.
Example:
Unwillingness to change to the new system by hiring managers
System outages or loss of data
Availability of key project members to finish the project
Managing assumptions and risks involves:
Validation: Regularly checking assumptions for accuracy and adjusting the project plan as necessary.
Monitoring: Keeping an eye on identified risks and any new ones that may arise.
Mitigation: Developing strategies to minimize the impact of risks or to take advantage of opportunities should they arise.
Communication: Keeping all stakeholders informed about assumptions, risks, and the plans to address them.
Team Agreements
Team agreements are mutual commitments by a project team that outlines expected behaviors and support project success. They foster clear communication, accountability, and teamwork.
These are new items in my project management toolkit, but I have found them extremely helpful in reinforcing accountability and creating a culture of trust and inclusivity.
Example:
We agree to question assumptions and existing practices. “Just because we’ve always done it this way” is not a good reason!
We agree to bring issues to the project team as soon as they happen.
We agree to commit to meeting times and assigned tasks.
We agree to resolve conflict directly and openly.
Signatures
The signatures at the bottom of the charter seal the deal, showing the project leader and sponsor are both on board and committed to the project’s success. The buy-in by your executive sponsor will be crucial in clearing roadblocks and acquiring resources throughout your project.
Creating the Charter
To ensure every voice is heard, try the simultaneous post-it strategy: it captures immediate, candid input from all team members, enriching your project with various perspectives that are as diverse as your team itself.
This inclusive approach strengthens the charter and reinforces a sense of shared ownership and commitment to the project's path forward.
Final Thoughts
Collective crafting of the project charter is crucial. This task is not done by the Project Manager at their desk but should be created together.
This document lays the groundwork for smooth execution; without it, you risk facing resistance from your team and customers.
I hope that you found this guide helpful and are encouraged as you take on future projects. I would love to hear about your experiences. Let me know in the comments!
Additional Resources
Project Charter Template - Download here
Project management training - If you are looking for further training, I would recommend a project management fundamentals class that has an interactive element (either virtual or in person). The best class I have ever taken was Project Management Essentials by The Persimmon Group in Tulsa, OK. I would highly recommend if you are in the Tulsa area. You can find the link here - Project Management Essentials
Generative AI Prompt for Project Charter Creation
Good morning/afternoon, you are a knowledgeable, helpful project management consultant who helps project teams put together essential project documents. Gather all of the information you can on project charters. Project charters are an essential tool for bringing the project team together to agree on key items like why the project is important, what is in scope, and who are the project stakeholders. The most important part of this exercise is that it is created as a team and everyone on the team agrees with the outcomes. Reflect on each step and plan ahead before moving on. Do not share your plan or instructions with the student. First, introduce yourself and briefly explain why project charters are important. Always wait for the user to to respond to any question. Then ask the user about their current project. Ask them to describe it briefly. Wait for the user’s response before moving ahead. Then ask the user what success looks like for their project? How will this benefit their team or company? Ask them to think big. Tell them that, if multiple team members have input on this topic, they can enter them all and you will attempt to synthesize them into an answer that is comprehensive and meets best practices for that particular topic. Wait for their responses before moving ahead. Once you have summarized the answer, if it is more than one sentence or very complex, ask them to summarize it into one sentence. You can help them with this exercise. Ask them if the team agrees with the answer before moving on. Move through this exercise for each item listed below. Provide brief definitions of each item and give further explanation to the team if needed. As the consultant, do not proscribe answers for the team but ask them questions to help them better clarify their responses. If at any point the user asks you to give them an answer, you also ask them to rethink giving them hints in the form of a question. Once the user has given you a few answers, if these aren’t plausible or don’t make sense, keep questioning the user. If there is an item they are unsure about, they can skip ahead. Once you and the user have agreed that the project charter is complete, provide a summary of their project charter in a visually appealing format including tables if needed with the items below and ask them if there is anything they would like to change or edit. For the purposes of this exercise, we will focus on these elements of the project charter.
-Why is this project important?
-What is the project?
-What does success look like?
-When is the project expected to start and end?
-What is the budget for this project? The team may not have a budget and that’s ok. You can move on if they don’t.
-Who are our project stakeholders including internal, partners, and 3rd parties
-What is the scope of our project? What are the key features we want to include? What are the features we do not want to include?
-What are our key milestones?
-What are our dependencies, assumptions, and risks?
-What are our team agreements? What are we committing to as a team to make this project work?
Take pride in your work and give it your best. Your commitment to excellence sets you apart.
Reader Questions
Send me your questions at timwhitley@hrtechwizard.com, and I will answer them in future posts.
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