1st Action Item

Your First Requirement
COMMITMENT

It is probably harder to 100% commit to becoming an expert public speaker and storyteller – ​than it is to actually becoming an expert public speaker and storyteller.

Rory Vaden: My pastor once told me that if you want to know what a person really believes in, then you don’t need to waste time asking them. Instead just look at their calendar and their checkbook; because what we spend our time and money on is what we truly value most.

Your Top Action Item
MAKE A PROJECT CHARTER

What is a Project Charter?

A project charter is a formal document recognizing the existence of a project. The project manager may create it, but it is to be issued by a project sponsor in the initiating process. The project charter defines the high level requirement for the project and links the project to other ongoing works and goals.

Include these words in your project charter

sponsor, project name, deliverables, objective, scope, timeline, phases, budget, high level project plan, stakeholders, project manager, not included in scope, signed

Project Charter: Sample 1

Ash’s Project Charter

My parents, who have tasked me with creating this project charter, are sponsors of this project. We have recognized that it is essential for me to begin acquiring public speaking and storytelling (hereafter referred to as PS&ST) expertise in the immediate future. We recognize that PS&ST is, unfortunately, not adequately encouraged at undergraduate, graduate, and early career development levels.

This charter establishes the existence of a four-year project to bring forth the speaker and leader that I intend to become. The name of the project is Developing A Distinguishing Competency.

The Project Deliverables are a DTM award and five professional level speeches.

Project Scope is to earn Toastmasters International’s DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) award in no more than four years, and to create no less than five (professional level) ready-to- deliver speeches. These may be in the form of keynote speeches, training presentations, TED Talk format speeches, Moth stories, entertaining speeches, or other project management and engineering (hereafter referred to as PM&E) related talks.

The project is to commence no later than January 2015. The 4-year timeline is to be divided into four phases, each phase being one year. A minimum of ten hours per month is my time commitment to this project. Any time used for (1) attending Toastmasters meetings, (2) preparing presentations for work, (3) delivering presentations at work, (4) speech writing, (5) watching TED Talks, (6) listening to Moth stories, (7) reviewing famous speeches, (8) reading PS&ST books, (9) studying PS&ST DVDs, mp3s, or CDs, (10) attending communication, leadership, or presentation (classroom or online) trainings, (11) evangelizing PS&ST at work, (12) volunteering at Toastmasters events, or (13) time spent with mentors, will count as project time.

Phase 1: (Year 1)
Complete the Competent Communicator requirements and get the CC certificate.

Phase 2: (Year 2)
Complete the Advanced Communicator Bronze requirements and get the ACB certificate.
Complete the Competent Leader and Advanced Leader Bronze requirements and get the CL and ALB certificates.
Complete one professional-level speech.

Phase 3: (Year 3)
Complete the Advanced Communicator Silver requirements and get the ACS certificate.
Complete the Advanced Leader Silver requirements and get the ALS certificate.
Complete two professional-level speeches.

Phase 4: (Year 4)
Complete the Advanced Communicator Gold requirements and get the ACG certificate.
Complete the High Performance Leadership (HPL) project requirements and get the DTM award.
Complete two professional-level speeches.

I (Ash) am appointed project manager. My supervisor has encouraged me to proceed and will support me by way of creating multiple presentation opportunities at work and will arrange for me to attend at least one company sponsored communication training every year.

The budget for the Developing A Distinguishing Competency project is a total of US $4,000, to be disbursed at US $1,000 per year. These funds are to be utilized for procuring resources and materials related directly to growth in PS&ST.

The stakeholders for the Developing A Distinguishing Competency project are my parents, my supervisor, my Toastmasters mentor, my other external mentors, and I.

Signed by project manager and project sponsors (Ash’s Mom and Dad) December 2014

Project Charter: Sample 2

Created to write the book
Necessary Bridges:
Public Speaking and Storytelling for Project Managers and Engineers

A skills, and skills-perception gap has been detected within the professions of engineering and project management. This is a globally recognized issue. In order to address and correct this gap, “Powers-That-Be,” the sponsor, has authorized a project with a budget not to exceed US $7,500. The project is to be named the “Necessary Bridges” project.

The project scope, i.e. the work of the project, is to create a product, in book form, that is to be distributed to practicing and aspiring project managers and engineers—hereafter referred to as PM&E.

The product is required to provide motivation, information, education, and direction for PM&E, with the objective of increasing PM&E commitment to, and expertise in public speaking and storytelling—hereafter referred to as PS&ST. It is acceptable for the product to demand high standards, and a high commitment to excellence from the product user.

Rashid N. Kapadia is appointed Project Manager. Project Manager is fully responsible for executing the project within budget. It is accepted and agreed that the Project Manager will not charge for his time or expertise. His efforts and expertise will be accepted by “Powers That Be” as a labor of love. Project Manager will not be provided any paid team members. He is authorized to accept assistance from volunteers, if he is able to enroll such volunteers, by his own efforts.

The project deliverable is a self-published book, available in e-book format, and in print format, ready for sale. The title of the book is to be: Necessary Bridges: Public Speaking & Storytelling for Project Managers & Engineers.

The price for the e-book format is to be US $10. The price for the print version of the book is not to exceed US $25.

Timeline: The project is required to commence no later than July 1, 2014 and be completed by December 31, 2014.

High-level project plan: The book A.P.E.: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book by Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch is to be used as the Project Plan. Approximate pricing from external vendors is indicated in this document.

The project is expected to have three phases.
Phase 1 = Being an author and doing the work of an author.
Phase 2 = Being a publisher and doing the work of a publisher.
Phase 3 = Being an entrepreneur and doing the work of an entrepreneur.

Phases 1 and 3 are authorized for immediate commencement. Expenditure is authorized. Phase 2 will be authorized after the Phase 1 deliverable has been reviewed by at least five people, preferably unpaid experts. If this review requirement causes some delays in final production, such delays will be accepted.

Budget: Estimate US $2,500 for each phase. Total project budget US $7,500.

Stakeholders:
Rashid N. Kapadia as A.P.E. and Project Manager.
All external vendors and suppliers—as detailed in Kawasaki-Welch book.
5 or more expert reviewers.
Powers-That-Be, as Sponsor.

Not included in project scope: Costs relating to marketing, distribution logistics, sales etc.—after book is published.

SignedPowers-That-Be. June 15, 2014

NB Art of Books