PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A SIMPLE WAY TO KEEP PROJECTS ON TRACK

The Real Cost of Chaos

• 67% of teams say unclear plans cause missed deadlines
• Over 50% of projects fail from poor scope and shifting priorities
• Managers spend 1/3 of their week on misaligned work
• Simple, clear one-pagers cut meeting time by 42%
• Alignment upfront saves hours of rework later

By Justin Mecham

What Makes a Plan Work

• Plans with clear goals and deadlines get 2.5x better delivery
• Avoid jargon — simple steps are more likely to get done
• Projects with fewer than 7 steps finish 36% faster
• Assigning owners for each step increases follow-through by 50%

Tips to Keep Projects Moving

1. Use one-pagers to kick off every project
2. Keep steps short and measurable
3. Stick to 1 page max — clarity beats detail
4. Review progress weekly as a team
5. Keep a template to save time
6. Tag decisions and blockers clearly
7. Send it before meetings to align faster
8. Make it mobile-view friendly
9. End with who owns what and by when

Step-by-Step Plan

Section

What to Include

How to Use It

Project Name

Clear and specific

Use as a task headline

Objective

1-line purpose

Show what success looks like

Key Steps

5-7 action bullets

List what actually gets done

Timeline

Due dates by step

Add urgency + focus

Owner(s)

Name + role

Make it personal + accountable

Execution Habits That Matter

• Quick Wins: Start small. Build fast.
• Templates: Use what works.
• Cadence: Weekly check-ins. Monthly progress.
• Adjustments: Plans shift. Don’t over-edit.
• Owner Clarity: One task. One owner.

Follow Justin Mecham | Get FREE PDFs of My Sheets at thejustinmecham.com