How do I present a Project Timeline? - Business Best Practice

Some simple steps to communicate your plans on a project timeline. Impress your audience with great presentations.

How do I present a Project Timeline?

Arrange your page in Landscape format (long side along the bottom).
Draw a single timeline horizontally, with start and end dates.
Add time intervals clearly marked along the timeline.
Choose the most important project elements for your audience – arrange these along the timeline.
If there are any priority risks or issues, place these along the timeline.
Test your presentation on a friend or colleague, and adjust as required.
You are ready. Good luck with your project presentation!

In more detail

Find a simple timeline or project timeline that suits your Project.
1. Do you need multiple workstreams?
2. What are your KPIs?
3. Select your template based on what you want to communicate at your presentation.
Fill the template in with the important project elements for your audience.
1. As a rule, you have 5 mins to run through the whole Project timeline.
2. If it takes longer than 5 mins for people to understand your Timeline, it is too complicated.
If there are any priority risks, be sure to include these.
1. Your colleagues and stakeholders will appreciate being told HONESTLY about any risks or issues.
2. Be sure to have your suggested mitigation plans ready to discuss.
Test your presentation on a friend or colleague, and adjust as required.
1. This is very important. Be sure to test it on a trusted friend. Why?..
2. When you are “close to the material” (i.e. when it is YOUR project) you will make assumptions about what people know. So please please do test your presentation.
3. Your friend will help you spot things you have overlooked, or that do not make sense.
Ready to go. Good luck with your presentation!

Some project management tools that can help you:

Are you short on time?

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