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Project organization chart: the complete guide + free templates.

• What is a project organization chart?
• Types of project management structures
• Why is a project organization chart important?
• Project organization chart templates
• A structured approach to project management

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All organizations operate on a hierarchy, but each organization is structured differently, and each staff member’s roles and responsibilities to one another and to the entire company are unique to their respective teams. However, there is an underlying structure that most companies follow, and having a clear picture of this helps your team know who’s who, which translates into more efficient collaboration. When this happens, decisions, delivery, and success become much easier to achieve.

This is where a project organization chart comes into play.

What is a Project Organization Chart?

A project organization chart is a visual reference of a team’s structure. This is used to illustrate a variety of relationships, including reporting and supervision hierarchies, as well as interactions and responsibilities expected of various members of the project framework.

A typical organization chart highlights four major roles:

• The project sponsor
• The project manager
• The project team
• Other stakeholders

The Project Sponsor

The project sponsor acts as a default recipient of a project’s deliverables and often holds the greatest stake in the project’s success. In most scenarios, the project sponsor enables the project either through approval and/or funding—this also gives them relative authority over the major decisions in a project, even higher than that of the project manager. While they often don’t participate, if at all, in a project’s day-to-day operations, it is critical for a project sponsor to have visibility on the project’s status.

For example, a marketing campaign will typically have a marketing/brand representative be the project sponsor, as they are largely accountable for the success of a product or service. The rest of the marketing team reports outputs and metrics back to this representative to gauge whether objectives are achieved.

The Project Manager

The project manager, on the other hand, is responsible for the day-to-day coordination of a project, liaising mainly with the project team and reporting progress to sponsors and stakeholders. Their focus lies on managing budget, scope, and cost to achieve the highest-quality results on a project, in line with its objectives.

Depending on the scale of the project, an entire team of project managers, with a lead project manager, might be required. They are then responsible for facilitating the planning, execution, and delivery of the project.

The Project Team

The project team produces a large portion of the project’s deliverables and reports to the project manager to help keep things on track. The team can be represented by one or multiple departments, and its size varies greatly depending on the needs of the project.

Stakeholders

By definition, all the other roles above count as stakeholders , but it may also be important depending on the project to take note of other entities or individuals who hold varying levels of interest and/or power in a project’s outcome. Clients, customers, end users, investors, and vendors are typical inclusions in a project structure. External vendors, organizations, and regulatory agencies may also be in the picture, depending on the type of project being undertaken.

Types of Project Management Structures

There are five primary project management structures observed by organizations, each with their respective uses:

1. Functional organization structure

A functional project management organization chart groups staff members into teams based on shared expertise—we commonly refer to these groups as departments, which then fulfill specific functions in the overall business, like HR, finance, or marketing. Each of these teams has a dedicated manager, who then coordinates resources with the rest of the managers to work on assigned projects. This is one of the most common structures available and allows for efficient cross-functional work.

2. Project-based structure

A projectized structure forgoes the concept of specialized departments, instead primarily grouping staff members into dedicated, often cross-functional, project teams. Project managers hold full authority over these teams in place of functional managers.

While this structure allows for more focus and faster decision-making at the project level, it also requires managers with a wide range of skills, so they can effectively communicate with different experts assigned to the project. It also limits resource sharing, as the skills of one team might not necessarily be transferable to another team or project.

3. Weak matrix structure

All matrix structures use the functional organization as a basis; however, where decision-making authority lies varies.

In a weak matrix structure, the staff members assigned to the project mainly coordinate amongst themselves, with functional managers taking a slight backseat when it comes to major decisions at the project level. While this provides the benefit of faster decision-making in the day-to-day, it runs the risk of overwhelming the staff members with work outside of their area of expertise.

4. Balanced matrix structure

A balanced matrix structure improves on the weak matrix in one key area: one of the staff members is explicitly assigned the role of project manager, often on top of their functional responsibilities. They then closely collaborate with functional managers in managing budget allocations and staff assignments.

5. Strong matrix structure

The strong matrix structure further improves on the previous setup by having dedicated project managers which, at scale, requires the presence of a dedicated project management department in the company. In the same way that functional managers assign their resources to projects, the head of a project management team assigns appropriate project managers to these projects, where they hold most of the authority. The head of project management, along with other functional managers, serves a more supporting role by focusing on resource allocations and expertise over direct project management.

The best project team or organization chart structure for you depends on various factors, such as the project’s scale, your company’s budget as well as the size of your own company. Smaller projects and teams can often succeed with a functional, weak, or balanced matrix structure, as the scale of departmental work may be smaller. At scale, however, a strong matrix structure becomes important to allow flexibility between projects, and the capacity to distribute work between a larger number of specialized resources helps to ensure a higher quality of work.

Why is a Project Organization Chart Important?

Having a clear project organization structure serves as the foundation for project success for the following reasons:

• Communication. A clear structure outlines who reports to whom, and which teams collaborate with one another.
• Delegation. A project organization chart provides clarity on the roles of each stakeholder, and their responsibilities to the company and/or project.
• Efficiency. When responsibilities and lines of communication are clear, the workflow is free to run much more smoothly than if teams were left guessing who’s who in a project. This cascades into fewer roadblocks in the day-to-day, regardless of scale.

Project Organization Chart Templates

Now that we understand the concept and importance of a project organization chart, here are some templates and sources you can use to start building them to suit your company’s needs, all for free.

Miro Template

Miro provides a template you can use directly on their platform to build a chart that matches your own company structure. An advantage to using this template is that Miro’s native features can automate visualizing your team or company hierarchy, allowing you to focus on filling in information like names, roles, and functions instead of manually drawing relationships.

Powerpoint Template

The Tactical Project Manager offers a simple, easy-to-use one-pager that already contains the basic elements for creating a project management organization chart. All you need to do is edit the names and roles on the template to match your organization, along with some slight tweaks like adding more elements depending on your team size.

Canva's template center is home to a wide range of templates based on the fundamental project organization structure. A huge advantage here is that the templates are made by creatives, and you have plenty of visually appealing options right away.

A Structured Approach to Project Management

A project organization structure serves as the framework for making sure your teams understand their roles and responsibilities well. This empowers them to take ownership of their work, as well as to collaborate with confidence in the team and the process. As your team grows, it becomes especially important to build an organizational chart that preserves this confidence. Beyond that, you will need a project management solution that can keep up with your project’s demands.

With Workamajig, the premier marketing management software , you have an all-in-one solution for planning, organizing, and delegating these efforts, and easily transitioning between the phases of every project. Easily adjust your schedule or modify task requirements and assignees to ensure efficiency, and use native reporting tools to measure your progress, as well as identify and address roadblocks along the way.

Related Posts

Project Organizational Structure: The Complete Guide

Matrix Organizational Structure in Project Management– A Complete Guide With Examples

Functional Organizational Structure: Everything You Need to Know

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How to Create a Team Charter (Example & Template Included)

Just as a project has a charter to define its scope, so too must your team have a charter to put their work in context. Teams need to know the who, what, why, when and how of the project, and a team charter is the perfect way to feed them that information.

Once you get buy-in from the team and they know where they stand and how to maneuver through the project, you’re on the road to success. Let’s explore how to put a team charter together.

What Is a Team Charter?

A team charter is a project document that outlines why the team has been brought into the project, what the team is being tasked to accomplish and the resources and constraints in which the team will be working.

The team charter is often created in a group setting, which gives the team direction and boundaries in a transparent environment. This collective development gets buy-in from the team and ensures everyone understands their part in the project.

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Team Charter Template

Use this free Team Charter Template for Word to manage your projects better.

What Is the Purpose of a Project Team Charter?

A team charter is a document that defines the overall objectives of the project team . It’s important as it guides the team throughout the life cycle of a project. When assembling a new team, the project team charter is helpful to quickly bring them up to speed.

Whether the team is new or already established, the project team charter is useful in that it clearly outlines the goals, assets and obstacles of the project. A new team gets the basics while a team that’s been working on the project for a long time gets a refresher.

When Should You Use a Team Charter Document?

The team charter should be updated whenever the project plan has changed in a way that’ll impact the original guidelines. For example, if the project’s scope changes because of a change request, that information needs to be related.

Another reason to update your team charter is if a new team member is brought on board. At this point, the details of the team charter might remain very similar, but the process of developing it with the new team member would require revisiting it with them. This is also true when a team member is exiting the team. The team charter needs to be reviewed and revised to note the team member’s contributions. Even if they’re leaving the organization, the team charter can be changed to make this transition smoother.

Who Writes the Team Charter Document?

A project team charter is created by the project manager based on insights from everyone on the project team such as the project sponsor , team members and stakeholders. It’s a collaborative effort to make certain all are clearly aware of its content. This helps get buy-in for the project, whereas if the team charter was made by management and presented to the team, it’d be less impactful.

The participation of everyone on the team is so important that when the team charter is completed, everyone signs off on it. While this might seem unnecessary, it symbolizes the shared commitment to the project and its objectives and makes the team better understand their roles and responsibilities.

Why Is a Team Charter Important?

There are two main reasons for the team charter. First, it clearly outlines the project objectives and how the team is responsible for tasks that lead to the final deliverable. Second, it informs outside project members of what the team is and isn’t responsible for.

Another benefit of using a team charter is that it creates transparency in the team, which leads to more accountability and better team management . It gives the team the structure to build agreement on how they wish to operate within the project and how they make decisions. This is done by defining the frequency of meetings and other logistics.

The team charter removes roadblocks and sets a course for the team to work together more effectively while staying aligned with the project’s overall goals. One way it does this is by clearly defining each team member’s role and responsibilities in the project and their level of authority in any particular project aspect. It also sets what resources they can request.

Team Charter Example

The team charter is developed with the team as it’s being formed. To make sure you have covered all the bases, it’s not a bad idea to use a team charter template. ProjectManager has dozens of free project management templates, including the team charter, shown below.

As you can see, each section is laid out in a customizable box that gives you the ability to expand. Of course, supporting documentation can always be attached, but the template itself will have the overview, hitting all the main points and ending with a signature page.

Our team charter template has all critical fields you need to include. Every team member should have not only participated in the development and discussion of the team charter but have a copy for themselves to reference whenever needed.

Team Charter vs. Project Charter

There are other charters made over the course of a project. We’ve discussed the project team charter, but how does it compare to the project charter? Just by the name alone, it’s easy to distinguish one from the other, as one is about the team and the other is about the larger project .

Where the team charter defines the teams, their roles and responsibilities and how they’ll collaborate on one or more projects, the project charter lists the requirements of only one project. It’s also more wide-ranging, describing the whole project in brief and used in the planning process to define the goals and benefits of the project.

Team Charter vs. Organizational Charter

Another charter found in project management documentation is the organizational charter . This, too, serves a different purpose than the project team charter. The organizational charter is broader than the team charter and even broader than the project charter.

The organizational charter deals with the entire organization, defining its overall mission, objectives and even values. It goes into specifics, too, such as the role of its stakeholders, financial obligations and what resources are required for it to do what it wants to do.

How to Create a Team Charter

A team charter is made up of several sections which directly relate to the team’s involvement in the project. While team charters can change depending on the project, they all tend to share the elements outlined below.

1. Describe Your Project Background

The first thing to do is lay the groundwork for the project; summarize what it’s about and why it’s being initiated . This allows the team to see how they fit in the overall project, as well as identify the stakeholders who are invested in the project’s success.

2. Define Project Mission and Objectives

The mission statement defines the background section further by defining what success looks like in the project, so the team knows what they’re aiming for each time they take on a new task. Expanding again to the big picture, the benefits and business driving the project are explained.

3. Estimate What Project Resources Will Be Needed

The project funding is defined in this section, including what resources are earmarked. Team members may be curious if there’s any training offered, so the team leader will say whether training is included. Finally, in terms of finance, the management who supports the team is identified so they can be contacted with any questions related to costs.

As the project unfolds, it’s critical to track your budget and expenses. With ProjectManager , you get access to planning and tracking tools that keep your finances under control. Build a plan that includes costs, estimates and labor rates, then track everything on our real-time dashboard. Try ProjectManager today for free.

4. Define Roles and Responsibilities for the Project Team

Everybody on the team needs to know their role and responsibility to not get in each other’s way. Here, list their skill sets and expertise, as well as who has authority over whom.

5. Describe the Team Operations

For a team to work effectively, its operational structure must be outlined. If a new team member enters the project, their pathway must be defined, as well as an exit strategy for those who might be leaving the team. All operating rules, relationships, etc. are explored and clarified.

6. Outline the Project Scope

The project scope is outlined in this part of the team charter, as well as how the team members will participate in the project scope.

7. Establish Performance Assessment Guidelines

Throughout the project, team members will be assessed on their performance and progress. This needs to be explained upfront, including how these metrics will be measured, who will be assessing them and when.

8. Describe the Project Activities and Milestones

This is where the tasks that make up the project are listed, along with the milestones. With these, the team has a better sense of the work ahead of them.

9. Set a Guide to Communication

Team communication, both between themselves and with their manager or team leader, is outlined in this section. The method of communication will be decided on, as well as how often the teams will meet and the frequency of their status reports.

10. Add Signatures

Finally, once the team charter has been fully discussed and everyone on the team is on board, each will sign and date the document. This shows that they understand their role, responsibility, the scope of the project and how they’re involved.

Team Charter Tips

The best way to make a team charter is with the team. They need to know the ins and outs of the project and should be part of the team charter’s development. Even though they won’t know the details, their input is essential.

While you don’t want to get lost in the weeds, the team charter should be thorough and fully explain the team’s purpose, the measurable goals they’ll be assessed by and the operating guidelines for the team during project execution.

That said, the document should be digestible, with specific and measurable goals that everyone on the team can live with. It should be achievable and result in the success of the project as planned. You might want to include a code of conduct and a plan to resolve any conflicts, which creates a work environment where everyone feels safe and valued. This usually results in greater morale and productivity.

When to Update a Team Charter

The team charter should be updated whenever the project plan has changed in a way that’ll impact the original guidelines. For example, if the project’s scope changes because of a change request, that information needs to be relayed.

Another reason to update your team charter is if a new team member is brought on board. At this point, the details of the team charter might remain basically the same, but the process of developing it with the new team member would require revisiting it with them. This is also true when a team member is exiting the team. The team charter needs to be reviewed and revised to get that team member’s contribution noted. Even if they’re leaving the organization, the team charter can be changed to make this transition smoother.

How ProjectManager Helps With Team Management

ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that organizes teams and fosters collaborative work. Our tool not only empowers teams to work better together, but it also gives managers transparency into that process to support them through better planning, scheduling and allocation of resources.

Not everyone works the same, so we give teams multiple project views so they can work how they want. There are dynamic task lists, a calendar view and kanban boards to visualize workflow and allow teams to manage their backlog and plan sprints together.

Plan With Gantt Charts

Managers have features to monitor their team’s work and schedule tasks and resources. The Gantt chart view allows managers to link task dependencies to avoid bottlenecks that decrease team productivity. They can set milestones and edit the Gantt by dragging and dropping tasks to their new deadline.

Balance Resources With Workload Calendars

Keeping teams working to capacity without burning them out is critical. Resource management features let managers track their team’s hours, availability and related costs. Use the team page to get an overview of their work and the workload page to keep their workload balanced.

ProjectManager is online software with real-time data that lets teams work together wherever they are. Managers get more accurate and timely information that informs their decision-making as they plan, monitor and report on the project. Try it today by taking this free 30-day trial.

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8 Reasons to Use a RASCI Chart on Your Project

There are many tools that help to organize projects, processes, and own tasks, such as ToDo lists, Kanban boards, spreadsheets, task management systems, chats, emails and various communication tools. And they all can be pretty effective. However, oftentimes, when organizing work, we do not think beyond the “task assignee” concept as we associate a task only with a person who’ll fulfill it.

More than that, most common project management tools usually have one field for an assignee, which also gives the impression that there are no other roles apart from the person who does the task and, perhaps, a manager who can answer questions or provide details.

But the reality of modern projects is much more complex, and many more people are involved, usually implicitly. This is where a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), like RACI or RASCI, comes in handy. Such a matrix takes into account all the roles involved and makes it clear what roles and people are involved and in which way. In this post, we talk about the most popular responsibility assignment chart, benefits a team can get when using it, a step-by-step instruction to create such a chart for your team, and some RASCI matrix examples from our experience.

What is a RASCI chart

RASCI chart is a popular management tool to categorize participants and define their roles and responsibilities within a project or process. The origin of the tool is clearly unknown. However, it is often associated with the project management approach called “Goal Directed Project Management” (GDPM) that got its fame in the 1980s after the publication of Kristoffer V. Grude, Tor Haug and Erling S. Andersen’s works. 

RASCI is a more modern version of the original RACI chart that was meant to define responsible, accountable, consulted , and informed stakeholders for each critical task on a project. The difference between RACI and RASCI charts is in the additional role ( supportive ) that the RASCI chart acquired over the time. Here’s what each role means in a RASCI chart:

• Responsible – is a person who drives the project and the team to achieve the intended goal. Holding that role, a person will be in charge of making an important decision, overcoming blockers, leading the team to do the right thing, and deciding what NOT to do. Responsibility can be shared but cannot be passed to another person. 
• Accountable or Approver . A person holding this role is answerable for the success and completion of the project while having the least involvement in implementation but the most in the decision-making process. The Approver will contribute ideas, knowledge and anything else that can help the Responsible and the team make the right decision and achieve the goal. In rare cases, an Approver can jump into the critical part of work. Check out our article on how to keep balance between authority, responsibility and accountability , to avoid most common mistakes in project management.
• Supportive . This role supports a Responsible in project implementation/delivery. People holding this role can be involved to varying degrees. Supportives may become a workforce buffer for the team to deliver projects on time.
• Consulted – are usually subject matter experts that want a Responsible to talk to them before the final decision is made. Consulted roles will contribute their opinions or knowledge as holders of context. They don’t do any work but may be involved in decision-making. 
• Informed . An Informed will want a Responsible to provide them with updates on the progress of the project. People who have been committed to being Informed will get passively updated on the critical project decisions and the key turns.

This model is very flexible, and based on the project size and nature some roles can be added or omitted. At Railsware, we use the RAtSCNIuo chart with some extra roles which we will discuss a bit later.

How a RASCI chart looks like

A classic RASCI chart consists of project tasks that are listed in the left column, while all the team members necessary to complete a project are mentioned in the upper line in the chart, and the roles that the team members hold are indicated as letters – A, R, S, C, and I.

As you can see from the chart, one participant can hold different roles on different tasks of one project. For instance, a CTO can approve some tasks, be consulted and informed on other tasks.

8 reasons why you need a RAM on your project

When creating a RACI or RASCI chart for your team, you get a powerful tool for efficient project management that contributes to smooth cooperation in cross-functional teams. Below are the things that a RASCI chart brings:

1. Simplified communication 

Without knowing who is responsible for what, a team will eventually face misunderstandings, mistakes, and sometimes even conflicts. It happens when new members join the team, when workers are engaged in several projects, or when one specialist passes their work to another one. With a RASCI chart, all team members have a single source of information they can address throughout the entire project. 

2. Fast decision-making

A responsibility assignment matrix clearly defines who is the Responsible and Approver of a task, which then makes it obvious whom to contact for implementation and decision-related questions.

We’ve tried and tested multiple decision-making frameworks over the years, and made sure to let you in on our thoughts. Check out the linked article where we put them in action with the same use case.

3. Better work coordination

When all the roles are clear, each team member knows what tasks they are responsible for, and whom to contact for which questions, they can start working straight away. Responsible people are aware of who they should consult, who will approve their task, what to do next, and what’s the goal and expected result of the project. They understand the workflow and don’t waste time searching for the necessary stakeholders.

4. Risk mitigation

The development of a RASCI chart requires you to decompose the project into smaller chunks of work and share responsibilities among team members. By doing so, you see the scope and what part each specialist is responsible for, which decreases your chances of missing something. It also shows whether you have enough resources/talent to complete the project.

5. Better workload distribution

The chart is also easy to analyze to see how many areas of responsibility each person has. It’s a simple way to determine if a team participant has too many responsibilities and, if so, prevent specialists from burning out or leaving some tasks incomplete by redistributing the workload.

6. Saved resources

RASCI chart allows for a more efficient workflow that reduces reworks, pauses, duplicated tasks, or, conversely, non-completed tasks.

7. Easier to manage changes

The Agile development methodology lets teams adjust project scope during the development. When using a RASCI chart, a team can easily track who will be affected by each change and how team members’ workload will vary.

8. Fast conflict resolution

A RASCI chart adds to the project management transparency. With this tool, you know the expected outcome from everyone, to which everyone committed. The chart allows a team to track back who was Responsible for a non-completed task and understand where blockers appeared. Such analysis is helpful in detecting bottlenecks and preventing them in the future.

Simple steps to create a RASCI chart 

If it’s the first time your team is creating a RASCI chart, follow the steps described in this paragraph and make it formal. Later on, you may not need to formally create it because everyone will know the process. Here are the steps to follow to create a responsibility assignment chart that your team can successfully apply:

• Define the project and its goals . Not all projects need a RASCI model to be created. If the project scope is small and can be successfully finished by one person, the chart development is a waste of time. For bigger projects RASCI chart will help to understand the workload and the team that you’ll need.
• Prioritize the project compared to other projects and tasks . When thinking about a new project, make sure its value is large enough to initiate the project. If you see that the project isn’t urgent and there are other more critical tasks in the queue, postpone it. 
• Decompose the project into smaller tasks . This step is only required if the project is big enough and includes several tasks that different team members should perform. Usually, project decomposition takes place during the product development roadmap creation . There’s no need to duplicate this step, simply take the tasks from your task management system and add them to the left column of your chart. If your roadmap is very high-level, you may want to decompose it further and use smaller tasks in the RASCI matrix.
• Define the specialists necessary to complete the project. Include all roles (e.g., project manager, designer, quality assurance engineer) that are required to successfully finish a project and list them in the upper line of the chart.
• Find people who can take each role . If you’ve got a small team with only one designer or business analyst, then it’s clear who needs to take each role. Yet, in a large company, with, let’s say, 15 designers, you need to find the right person who will fit the project. How to do that? At Railsware, we pay attention to specialists with the necessary expertise, skillset, and willingness to participate in a particular project. To simplify the team composition process, we offer our colleagues to check the list of all projects and specify their level of interest, using such commitments as “really want,” “want,” “ready to experiment,” “if really have to,” and “don’t want to participate.” The approach allows us to see if a chosen person will be motivated when performing an assigned task and also form a backup list of specialists who can replace a Responsible or other role if something happens. 
• Check the workload of each person to make sure they can participate. In our team, we don’t want specialists to participate in too many projects simultaneously as it decreases the productivity of a specialist and the project’s chances for successful completion. 
• Approve the matrix with the team . This step is especially crucial if it’s your first use of a responsibility assignment matrix. Run a short presentation of a created chart and allow your team to get familiar with it. The participants need to correlate their new responsibilities with their workload and volunteer in a project, re-balance already scheduled activities if needed, or refuse participation.

A chart itself is a handy tool. However, you shouldn’t ignore other project management tools and approaches that improve project coordination and team governance, like project management systems with assignees, dedicated communication channels with project participants, regular meetings with a team , automated business processes for budget approvals, etc.

Railsware experience with a RASCI chart

Our team has a long history of creating and using RASCI charts for both inner and external projects. Over the years, we have defined some additional roles that allowed us to distribute roles and responsibilities more accurately and achieve better outcomes. As a result, we have developed a RAtSCNIuo model. The RAtSCNIuo chart stands for responsible, approver, team, supportive, consulted, if no one else, informed, user, and occasional user . Let us explain what the new roles mean.

• Team . A specialist(s) holding this role on a project will work on a recurrent basis. Also, they will actively collect insights, do research useful for the vision or context, and collaborate with other team members or with the Responsible. The Team role has to stay on track with the project’s progress and push others to do things right. This role is usually occupied by the following positions: project manager, engineer, designer, HTML/CSS expert, copywriter, QA engineer, etc.
• If no one else . This role will identify people that are to be asked for help last of all, if no one else can assist. This would mean that the person holding this role has domain knowledge but wants to move away from the activity.
• User . Represents someone who uses the system or a project being developed and wants updates on usage-related topics.
• Occasional user . This is a rare user of the system or a project. Similar to a User, this role wants updates that are only relevant for an Occasional User. 

Not all projects require us to use all the listed roles and attract that many people, though. Each project is different. On some small projects, we may only have a Responsible and Approver.

When we create a responsibility assignment chart

It’s not mandatory to create the chart each time. Sometimes, the simpler approach works. It means you can define and confirm what role each person holds, and that’s it. No need to have the list of the tasks and the chart itself. Besides, you won’t always know the list of tasks in advance.

However, in case you think you’ll need a chart, you should start with the project’s priority. If a project appears to be less valuable than others in the queue, creating a chart for it is a waste of resources as the project needs to be postponed and, therefore, the chart is likely to be outdated by the time the project starts.

When we deal with an existing project, we create a RASCI (RAtSCNIuo in our case) chart if: the scope changes and we need to re-allocate the roles/scope; when the team composition changes and everyone needs to be reminded who’s doing what; when we see communication issues, people are lost and need this clarity.

In case of a brand new product development project, we create a responsibility assignment chart during or after the BRIDGeS discovery session. BRIDGeS is a flexible decision-making framework designed by Railsware that helps form a product vision and build a clear development strategy during one session. Find out more about BRIDGeS and the advantages a team can get using the framework .

RASCI chart examples

The Railsware team uses a RASCI model for every project that is large enough. Let’s take a look at some real-life examples from the experience of our team. 

Case 1. Organizing yearly summit

Every year, our team runs a yearly summit. This is an offline gathering that lasts a week where we get to know each other in person, build connections, collaborate, and have fun with our teammates and families.

Considering Railsware is a remote-friendly team with people from thirteen different countries, the organization of the yearly summit is a big and significant deal. The event organizer has to solve a number of problems and think through a lot of questions, like:

• Decide and agree on the destination of the event,
• Check the travel rules for a chosen destination,
• Define the number of participants,
• Organize the transfer for each teammate and their family members, 
• Find suitable accommodation for all participants,
• Create an agenda with various activities for any taste,
• Estimate and approve the budget,

and many, many other questions. The scope is obviously huge. This is why we used a responsibility assignment chart to distribute responsibilities and ensure everything would go smoothly. The questions we listed above formed a list of tasks which we placed in the left column in a RASCI chart.

Sergey, as a Managing Director, held the role of an Approver along with Agata, the Chief Financial Officer, who validated all financial questions. The Project Lead Anastasia, was the Responsible. She had to drive the project and was liable for its outcome.

The Responsible attracted a few colleagues (specialists in different areas with relevant experience and desire to participate in the project) to help her with the research, transfer organization, agenda, and other aspects crucial for the summit. They held the Team role. We contacted Railswarians who participated in organizing Yearly Summits in the past and who could help us with a piece of advice to be Consulted.

During the project, we set up several polls and discussions with all Railswarians to find out their opinion on one or another aspect related to the trip. Those who shared their ideas and suggestions also acted as Consulted. All Railswarians who decided to attend the summit became Users.

Additionally, we collaborated with an external travel agency responsible for buying tickets, booking accommodation and finding different services providers according to the event agenda. Those obtained the Supportive role.

Here’s how the final responsibility assignment chart looked for that particular project.

Case 2. Developing user management feature for Mailtrap

Mailtrap is a Railsware product aimed at safe email testing in dev and staging environments. The tool was initially created as an MVP for the needs of our team. When Mailtrap proved its viability, our team allowed other developers to use it as well. Now, the tool has more than half a million active users and is extremely popular among both individual developers and various agencies and companies.

Mailtrap is actively growing, and our team is regularly consulting our clients to find out what functionality they lack. The more corporate clients we got, the more often we were requested a user management feature. Before, users could share access to some parts of the system manually. That was enough for individual users or small teams of 2-3 people. At the same time, agencies have many more system users, so the manual user management process took a while.  

When we saw the real need for this feature and realized its value for our corporate clients, the team decided to give it a go. Before the project started, we created a RAtSCNIuo chart.

Sergey, our Managing Director, and Yevgen, a Mailtrap Product Manager, held the role of Approvers. Julia, who is also a Product Manager on Mailtrap, agreed to become a Responsible. To develop the feature, we attracted one backend and one frontend developer. We also required assistance from a content writer to work on UI texts. These specialists were the Team on the project. While all our designers in the company were busy with some urgent tasks, we contacted an external design agency to assist us with the UI/UX of the new feature. Last but not least, project participants were Mailtrap users who tested the feature and shared their feedback.

Here’s how the responsible assignment chart looked for this project.

Case 3. Upgrading error messages on the Plans & Pricing Page

This case is also connected with the Mailtrap product. Mailtrap offers its users a free subscription plan and several paid ones. Our data analyst constantly checks the conversion rate and detects aspects that have a negative impact on it. After one of the inspections, we found out that the error message free users saw when trying to use a paid feature was confusing and turned customers off.

Clients not only couldn’t understand what features they might use and which features were unavailable, but they also didn’t see the value a paid feature could bring and, thus, didn’t have an incentive to upgrade their subscription plan to a paid option.

To solve the issue and increase the conversion rate, our team initiated a corresponding project. The Approvers remained the same as on the previous project (Sergey and Yevgen) as well as the Responsible (Julia). We also required a content writer to create new, clear and appealing texts, a designer, front- and backend developers, and a data analyst for this project. All these specialists held the role of the Team.

Our team contacted a native speaker to check out texts and make sure they are straightforward and can’t be misinterpreted. This person held the role of a Consulted, as it was a one-time job. Also, we shared our findings with the team of marketing experts, as they might be interested in the project results. So, we added them to our responsibility assignment chart. Here’s how it looked.

All these charts helped us to launch, manage, and successfully finish each particular project. To create the charts, we followed the steps shared above and some best practices you also need to know about.

Do’s and Don’ts when creating a RASCI Matrix

• Don’t use names. Use the positions . Meaning, it’s better to write the position of a specialist required on a project (backend developer, designer, project manager) in the upper line in a chart instead of names because roles are static, but people can change.
• Assign one Accountable per task . Accountability can’t be delegated. There should be only one person to hold this role. Each task should have an Accountable person.
• Leave some cells empty . It’s okay when a chart has some blank spaces. The most important roles are Approver and Responsible, all others can be omitted. Don’t involve unnecessary people just because you don’t have a Consulted or Informed in your chart. It’s better to maintain the team small. Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep everyone focused. 
• Check your matrix when approving with the team . Make sure each person understands their responsibilities and that there is a commitment from them. Don’t just assume that they accept their role. It may happen that some people can’t participate, some aren’t interested in the project, or you may find a new person who fits the project better.
• Define a clear communication channel . Make sure that everyone on the team knows who has each role and how they are going to communicate with each other.
• Check periodically that the process is working and every role performs as it should . Simply planning the matrix doesn’t mean that the process will work on its own. Regularly get feedback from project participants and modify the chart if necessary.
• Get back to the matrix and update it when/if roles and tasks change. The projects can change as well as the team composition. To get all the benefits of a RASCI chart, it needs to contain only up-to-date information.

Wrapping up

A responsibility assignment chart is a relatively easy-to-use tool with a bunch of significant advantages. Developing a chart doesn’t take a lot of time, especially if you’ve done it before. When using a RASCI chart for your project and your team, the most important rule is to make sure that a person agrees with the role and responsibilities they were assigned. Also, it’s totally ok to modify the chart and tailor it to the needs of each particular project, as our team does. 

If you want to know more on how Railswarians compose teams, ensuring a high level of engagement and motivation, read our blog and subscribe to our Youtube channel !

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What Is An Organizational Chart? 12+ Org Chart Examples & Templates

By Jeilan Devanesan , Jul 06, 2023

When you think of organizational charts, what often comes to your mind is probably the top-down, pyramid-like organizational chart of large companies.

I’m sure you’ve seen something like this before:

Of course, this is just one type of business organizational chart that exists today for organizations big and small.

Ever wondered how those organizational charts speak volumes about a company’s vibe and values? Well, that’s what I’ll help you figure out today.

I’m going to break down what business organizational charts are, share plenty of neat examples and show you how to design your own using an Organizational Chart Maker or awesome organizational chart templates .

Click to jump ahead:

What is an organizational chart, 15 organizational chart examples.

• 4 types of organizational charts

How to create an organizational chart in Venngage

An organizational chart is a visual representation of a company’s internal structure . Also known as organograms or org charts, these assets show how teams and departments are organized, showcase relationships across an organization and each individual’s role and responsibilities.

Here’s an example of an organizational chart:

Just so you know, some of our templates are free to use and some require a small monthly fee. Sign up is always free, as is access to Venngage’s online drag-and-drop editor.

What is the purpose of an organizational chart?

An up-to-date organizational chart serves several important functions.

This infographic highlights the five benefits of an organizational chart:

• Shows who is responsible for decision-making
• Allows everyone to understand the chain of command
• Allows employees to get to know each other
• Makes it easy to visualize changes
• Highlights a brand’s values and culture

Let’s take a closer look at each of the benefits:

• An organizational chart helps potential investors/shareholders understand who is steering the ship With an organizational chart, investors can easily see who is in the leadership team and the talent, skill and experience powering an organization. Thus, an org chart is a great way to reassure stakeholders that a business is in good hands.
• An organizational chart helps the entire organization understand the chain of command From process flows, approval flows and other types of decisions, a business organizational chart helps everyone understand the processes (really, the logic) behind them. A clear organizational chart is almost necessary for every employee onboarding process .
• An organizational chart helps new hires get to know fellow employees An org chart helps staff learn who owns which areas, who senior staff members are and the types of departments that exist within the organization. More importantly, they can better understand how their own role fits into the current organizational structure .
• An organizational chart helps people understand how changes within a company impact them As organizations grow or downsize, people are promoted, moved to different teams/departments, asked to report to new executives and so on. An organizational chart reflects these changes in leadership, team responsibilities and who everyone reports to.
• An organizational chart is a great way to communicate your brand Organizational charts today are designed to demonstrate an organization’s values and philosophies. The organization’s stance on hierarchy, collaboration, inclusivity and other concepts are visualized here.

Now, let’s take a look at some organizational chart examples you can use your business.

The majority of these examples feature hierarchical org charts, but you can add or delete branches to create other types of org charts as well.

Vertical smart organization chart example

This vertical corporate structure chart uses dynamic colors to differentiate the teams and their reports.

This extreme vertical format works well for smaller corporate structures or for departments within a larger organization.

Note : An organizational chart such as the one above can be easily customized in the Venngage editor. Click on the sections you want to add and the items will be duplicated so you can make edits. When you more text, the shape automatically resizes to fit. You can also apply formatting from one shape to another or all the branches with the ‘Formatting’ button in the menu. Sign up is free!

Corporate vertical organizational chart example

This vertical organizational chart helps employees understand who they report to, who their peers report to and the responsibilities everyone has.

Although the layout itself is minimal, the shapes and colors bring life to the design.

It looks professional, incorporates branded design and provides something more engaging to employees.

You can also use icons to differentiate between departments in organizational chart designs. This will especially help new hires understand right away what they’re looking at.

Simple vertical organizational chart example

For a more modern look and feel, check out this alternate take on a healthcare organizational chart.

It incorporates a digitized background design and a flat color palette.

Bold vertical organization chart example

When designing your own organizational chart, it’s important to group employees together who report to the same manager/executive.  

It’s up to you how you visualize those connections.

One method is to use lines and nodes for a typical layout.

Or, as in this vertical organizational chart example, you can use a legend and a varied color palette to indicate the reporting structure.

Modern vertical organizational chart example

An organizational chart can also be more than a breakdown of reporting relationships.

This organizational chart includes contact information for individual staff. This is especially helpful for new employees or when communicating across departments.

This is a memorable way to show the connections between departments and team members and it makes a statement.

Learn more: Venngage for Healthcare Organizations

Vibrant functional smart organizational chart example

If choosing a design style for your organizational chart feels challenging, consider your organization’s brand guidelines .

It can provide you the style and color inspiration you need to get started.

Marketing organizational structure example

In this example, the organizational chart is broken down by function and it’s clear the chief marketing officer oversees the marketing department.

Blue functional organizational chart example

Another option is to apply a unique color for each department or function.

This will help whoever is reading the organizational chart find exactly what they’re looking for. Otherwise, you’ll many tables that look exactly the same and it take more time to understand.

Generally, a traditional marketing organizational structure is broken down by departments.

You have teams entirely dedicated to areas like branding, communications and digital. It’s also important to identify teams that marketing relies on – like customer success and developers .

With the use of a vibrant color palette, you can clearly identify each department and who belongs in each. It’s easier to scan and follow over angular lines, especially in more complex organizational structures.

This blue functional organizational chart example is broken down in a similar way. The layout is just set to landscape and reads from left to right.

Notice how this organizational chart design makes use of employee headshots?

That’s especially helpful to new employees.

With the rise of remote work and remote employee onboarding, you may not always share an office or break room with fellow co-workers so headshots in a organizational chart is a simple way to help folks get acquainted.

Vertical organizational chart examples 

A vertical organizational chart, or hierarchical chart, is the traditional org chart you see in many organizations.

The layout positions the CEO at the top, with those report directly below and so on.

The goal of a vertical organizational chart is to present reporting relationships between employees.

Here’s an example vertical corporate structure chart for Apple. You can see it’s a very typical hierarchical chart with lots of layers of leadership.

It’s clear who reports to whom in upper-management at a glance.

Companies like Apple also have unique roles such as the Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives executive, or the Apple University Dean.

Plotting these types of roles in a business organizational chart is essential as it indicates where these roles fall in terms of hierarchy, who they answer to and what their responsibilities are.

Another aspect of a vertical organizational chart are the organizational functions. This is often referred to as a functional organizational chart .

Inbound marketing organizational structure example

In a presentation by Hubspot on creating agile teams, they shared a breakdown of how their (powerhouse) marketing department is structured.

The breakdown is by specific functions/objectives, channels and relevant metrics.

You’ll also notice that there is no clear reporting structure because the objective of this chart design is to highlight how the marketing team operates.

This is what a functional organizational chart can look like within a department.

The functions are defined as teams and channels. Your own organizational chart design will probably look different since it depends on the types of channels your marketing team is divided into.

Vertical divisional organizational chart example

This divisional organizational chart is broken down into its separate business areas of focus.

This type of organizational structure applies to larger organizations with divisions that are geographical, product-focused, industry-focused, market-focused or anything along those lines.

You’ll see that each division has its own marketing team, sales team and services team and they operate independently of one another and have all the same functions.

Horizontal organizational chart examples

The horizontal organizational chart, or flat organizational chart, is for organizations with little to no middle management or supervisory roles.

Simple horizontal organization chart example

Flat organizational structures can share the same layout as vertical organizational structures, but there are fewer executive and managerial levels.

The horizontal organizational chart example above also uses a landscape orientation.

This helps to emphasize the lack of hierarchical tiers and the extended role of management. While it is just a design choice, it communicates how the organization is structured at a glance.

Valve, the popular video-game developer, is proud of the flat organizational structure they’ve built.

Here’s how they visualize their organizational structure in their employee handbook. They include a few quips as well.

This is a fun way to understand Valve’s views on hierarchy, structure and collaboration. It’s clear there is a level of camaraderie and togetherness they aspire for.

It’s also a great example of presenting an organization’s brand and culture through documentation.

Rather than just a flat organizational structure with minimal hierarchy, Valve aspires for a completely collaborative organization with no hierarchy at all.

Within a horizontal organizational structure, managers will have a higher set of responsibilities and more direct reports than a typical manager.

This means a marketing manager may have designers, product people, support staff and others who don’t necessarily fall into “marketing” as reports, too.

Lean marketing organizational structure example

Github has a lean marketing organizational structure.

The VP oversees many areas, but they are not layered with upper and middle management. Instead, the teams are small and collaborative.

It’s always helpful to mimic your organizational structure in the design of your organizational chart. Reduce the number of tiers and group teams together in the way that makes the most sense.

In Github’s lean marketing structure, you can see where responsibilities overlap, those teams share a color code.

These color palettes can carry over into project sprints and tasks that get tracked in applications like Trello and Asana! It’s a great way to maintain consistency in all your corporate communications.

Matrix organizational structure examples

The matrix organizational chart combines traditional organizational structures.

A matrix organizational chart ties in project planning needs by pairing project managers with interdisciplinary teams.

That means the chart needs to highlight departmental or functional managers and their direct reports, as well as project managers and their reports. 

Here’s a detailed look at the layout and reporting structure of a matrix organizational chart:

There is a clear vertical functional structure with functional managers lining the top row. 

But project managers work with employees from each function and so form a parallel column to the employees in each function.

In this layout, the tiny squares highlight which employee in each function reports to a project manager.

The simplest way to indicate reporting relationships here is through the use of arrows or lines and aligning the correct staff vertically with their managers and horizontally with their project managers.

The matrix organizational structure is necessary for large organizations that have multiple projects going on and need collaboration across departments.

Nike’s organizational structure gets a lot of praise and it happens to be a matrix organizational structure.

Creative organizational chart examples

Many organizations experiment with the structure of their company.

Whether it’s a desire for faster decision-making, smarter experimentation, clear channels of communication, improved accountability or something else, how your organization is structured makes the difference.

Startups and major corporations alike often adopt creative organizational structures that achieve a goal.

Let’s take a look at some of these types of organizational charts.

Spotify’s organizational chart example: Tribes, squads and guilds

Spotify, the well-known audio-streaming service, is known for its unique tribe organizational structure.

Due to its growth and success, many startups have tried to adopt the same organizational structure, or some variation of it and make it work for them.

At a glance, it may seem strange and overly complex. But the organizational structure facilitates the communication and collaboration Spotify needed (and still needs) to grow quickly and reliably.

It starts with a tribe and its tribe leads.

They lead the squads that oversee different areas of the product. Across the squads, in each tribe, you have chapters that facilitate communication between the squads and chapter leads.

Of course, there are numerous tribes across the organization.

They work fairly independently of one another on a wide range of things that may or may not overlap.

As these individuals learn from new experiences, problems, outcomes and so on, they need to share information, tools, code and best practices.

These folks form guilds which include members across tribes. People can also belong to multiple guilds.

Spotify’s tribal organizational structure is meant to cut down on bureaucracy, which naturally builds as a company grows to hundreds or thousands of staff.

This way Spotify can still collaborate effectively as an organization, deliver projects sooner, implement changes faster, grow better and behave in a far more responsive manner.

You can also see from the way the organizational charts are arranged, there is an emphasis on fluidity within the structure, rather than rigidity.

Zappos organizational chart example: Holacratic organizational structure

Zappos is an online shoe and clothing retailer. They’re also known for having a unique culture and organizational structure.

They share insights on their approach to structure on Zappos Insights . This includes the fact that they are a holacracy.

A holacracy has a decentralized leadership, rather than one concentrated in an individual or handful of people.

It aims to distribute power typically reserved to executives across an organization to all employees.

It rejects the notion of hierarchy completely. The benefit is that it enables regular staffers to put forth ideas, collaborate with other employees and work with minimal restrictions.

Here’s an example of what a holacratic organizational chart looks like:

You can see right away there aren’t any lines, columns or rows like in the previous organizational chart examples.

Employees belong in a space that is shared, brought together in areas of specific functions and tasks.

A complete holacratic organizational chart would be a cluster of super-circles representing departments or functions, with smaller groups of circles for specific areas.

What are the 4 different types of organizational charts? 

To best visualize org structure and communicate your company’s chain of command, you can create an organizational chart for any of these four types of organizational structures : vertical (or hierarchical), horizontal (or flat), matrix and creative .

Let’s take a closer look at each one:

Vertical organizational chart (hierarchical organizational chart)

This is the most common type of organizational chart.

A vertical — or hierarchical — organizational chart has the person with the most power at the top and those with less power underneath and when combined, it forms a pyramid shape.

Here’s an example of a hierarchical organizational chart:

Horizontal organizational chart (flat organizational chart)

The horizontal org chart (or flat org chart) visualizes an organizational structure with little or no level of middle management.

This means it contains only two levels: the top administrators and the workers.

Here’s an example of a flat organizational chart:

Matrix organizational chart

The matrix organizational chart combines vertical and horizontal organizational structures.

It integrates a top-down vertical organizational structure that highlights reporting relationships with the flexibility of a flat organizational structure where cross-department teams report to project managers.

Here’s an example of a matrix organizational chart:

Creative organizational chart

The creative organizational chart applies to organizations with unconventional structures like Spotify (tribes, squads, guides) or Zappos (Holacratic organizational structure).

As an online visual communication tool, creating any type of organizational chart can be done in minutes. 

First, go ahead and set yourself up with a free Venngage account . This will let you access organizational chart templates and use our editor.

It’s not a trial and doesn’t require any payment info.

Next, head over to our organizational chart templates and choose a template that looks appealing to you.

Then, in the editor, access neat features to customize your organizational chart design.

Apply your branding, add organizational sections and levels, upload employee headshots and include a range of icons for an engaging design.

With Venngage’s Smart diagrams, you can edit, add and duplicate sections of your organizational chart with the click of a button.

You can also change the formatting to your brand colors and apply the same to any or all shapes in the diagram.

When choosing color palettes or fonts, keep accessible design  principles in mind.

You want an organizational chart that anyone can read and comprehend with ease.

Get started with Venngage for Business

Creating an organizational chart may just be the latest in your visual communication needs. To align and organize your teams through visuals more effectively, check out Venngage for Business .

• Easily design organizational charts, infographics, presentations, data visuals and so much more
• Apply consistent, professional branding to your designs with My Brand Kit
• Collaborate on designs with your team members
• Receive design consultations from expert in-house designers
• Get 24-hour priority support as a business member and more!

Frequently asked questions

Do small businesses need organizational charts.

The short answer is yes, absolutely. When organizations are just getting started, or fairly small, there is a tendency to share the load across team members. However, it can lead to a lack of clarity about who owns what areas, what everyone’s individual responsibilities are and how to measure individual performance.

In small organizations, a defined corporate structure chart highlights everyone’s key responsibilities, holds them accountable and allows them to manage their workload without burning out.

For additional resources for planning and organizing your teams or even company, check out these blog posts:

• 40+ Mind Map Templates to Help You Visualize Ideas
• How to Write a Comprehensive Project Plan [with Templates]
• 10 Tips for Effective Communication with a Remote Team
• How to Use Visual communication: Definition, Examples, Templates

The Essential Guide to Creating an Effective Team Charter

By Kate Eby | January 27, 2017 (updated December 7, 2023)

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What’s the difference between an effective, cohesive work team and one that isn’t? There are a lot of factors, but one often-overlooked, yet highly important aspect is a team charter. A team charter spells out the “North Star” for your team - not just the goals of management, of one stakeholder, or of the loudest team member. A team charter can help create energy, focus, and buy-in from members joining your team, or it can help recharge a team that has been in existence for a long time, but needs to regroup and refocus.

In this article, we’ll explain why team charters can be effective and present a strong opportunity for everyone on a team to do their best work. We’ll walk through the steps of creating a team charter that includes every team member’s input, which will not only hold everyone accountable, but also empower individuals to contribute in a focused, effective way.

Definitions: What Is a Team Charter?

A team charter is a document that states a team or project’s mission, scope of operation, objectives, consequences, and time frame. All team members help to create the team charter.

Team charters are essential because they are used to pinpoint shared goals, get buy-in from individual members, and keep the team cohesive. They also help keep the team on track by articulating the overall purpose.

This leads to the question, what is a team? A team is a group of employees, managers, and even long-term contractors who work together over a lengthy period on a variety of related projects. If members come and go over time, it’s important for the new team to regroup on its charter, and not simply pass it along, or it will become an unhelpful relic.

Some executives may be more familiar with a project charter than a team charter. They serve similar purposes, but for different groups and goals. A project charter covers terms of a specific project, which may last weeks or months (or even years). The defining factor of a project charter is that it applies only to the team and for the duration of a specific project. Such projects could be the creation of collateral for the release of an update to a product, a public-relations initiative, the construction of a building wing, and so on. After the project is concluded, the charter no longer applies.

A team charter, however, takes a bigger look and a longer view. Team members may also find themselves as members of various project charters in their work, and as such the project charters should fit together with the team charter agreements.

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What Is the Benefit of Having a Team Charter?

A team charter should provide a succinct vision and mission that everyone on the team supports. The charter should also be a yardstick that can be held up against any activity considered or pursued by the team. 

Once a team has been announced or created, all members should come together, before tackling any specific deliverables, to create the charter. In this way, all members get a voice, which can help assure their support and buy-in, and increase accountability. The purposes of a team charter include:

• Getting the buy-in of all team members, including ones who may have initially resisted being included 
• Holding team members, including leadership, accountable to all the same principles
• Spelling out roles and responsibilities in a clear, measurable way
• Defining operations, including ways to adapt to change, address roadblocks, and even define actions like attendance
• Demonstrating the team’s purpose and mission transparently to others in the organization 
• Providing clarity and reducing confusion in cases where conflicting asks or projects arise

“Why you’re creating the team in the first place should lead your team charter,” says Debbi Tillman, Director of Program Management at Mitchell International in San Diego. “And you need a team charter any time you need to form a deeper synergy among team members.”

“This can be especially critical if you are bringing together two teams that have previously worked separately,” Tillman continues, “Getting everyone’s input and buy-in is really critical to the success of your new team.”

Skipping the Team Charter: Risks to Optimal Success

Although it takes time to create a team charter, it’s risky to skip this step. Not having a charter often results in chaos and missteps because there is no clarity around roles, operations, or the team’s overall direction.

“It doesn’t have to take a long time to create the charter,” Tillman says. It could range from an afternoon or up to two to three days, depending on the size and scope of the team. “But as the principles of Agile say, ‘You have to move slow so you can move fast.’ In other words, take the time for everyone on the team to create the charter, so that everyone is clear and feels empowered to move forward.”

When a team charter is written down, it becomes a powerful toolbox. “It becomes deliberate instead of guesswork,” Tillman adds. “A big risk to not having a charter is inertia. In other words, the loudest or most intimidating team member may end up pushing forward his or her agenda. And this isn’t what the entire team signed up for.”

How to Create an Effective Team Charter

Since teams are made up of individuals with different motivations, team charters should reflect the team’s many dimensions. Additionally, they should include the team’s focus, priorities, and values. 

From who’s involved to the charter’s duration, consider the following questions:

• Who is involved: Every person on a team should be involved, or it will end up struggling or failing. Working through resistance or ambiguity in the creation of a team charter at the beginning will “forge bonds and set the foundation” for success, says Tillman. No one gets to opt out.
• Who is the team leader, and who resolves conflict: A key element to decide early on is the team leader, who is second in command, and so forth. If the team is big enough, there may be leaders over different subject areas. These should be agreed upon together and written as part of the charter. The same thing goes for how conflicts are resolved, and if there is an escalation path that should be documented.
• How long does the process of creating a charter take: This can vary. Many business leaders say the time frame can be from a half day to a two- or three-day workshop. The key is ensuring that all members of the team contribute, and that once the charter is created, everyone feels good enough to sign it and proceed with their work.
• How long does a team charter last: The team should decide if the charter will cover all work for a quarter, a year, or ongoing. If the team can agree on a charter that covers a full year, with occasional check-ins as needed, they can feel empowered knowing that it won’t be subject to frequent change.

Below is a diagram that shows typical steps involved in creating a team charter. Note that these pieces don’t necessarily have to be done in any particular order, but all these steps are required to create an effective team charter.

First Element of a Successful Team Charter: Background

Team members should come to the charter creation meeting with any actions or decisions that have led them there. Bring as much information as possible to make your team background outline. 

From identifying leaders to stakeholders, here are some questions to ask:

• Who is the team leader? When that person isn’t available, who is the second in command, and so on?
• What do key stakeholders need and expect from this team?
• What does each team member bring to the team, and what are their individual expectations? This last question is essential to get support and buy-in, especially if there are any reluctant parties.

Second Element of a Successful Team Charter: Mission & Vision Objectives

Once you have established the background and leadership of the team, you can focus on the deeper aspects of the charter. These items will become the guiding principles that all team activities should support. 

Key items are as follows:

• Decide what success looks like. How is it measured?
• Spell out the principles to guide the team for the length of time  they will work together.
• Define the key role that the team plays in the success (financial and otherwise) of the company.
• Craft a mission statement that is succinct. This may or may not be shared more widely beyond the team, but keeping it succinct means it’s easy to mentally grasp and perform checklists against. Tillman says, “My [program management] department’s team mission statement is: ‘We operationalize calm.’ This is part of our value proposition to the entire organization, and we really try to measure everything we do against that.”
• Create interim deadlines , goalposts, and milestones, to determine how work, performance, and team interactions map back to the charter.

Third Element of a Successful Team Charter: Roles and Responsibilities

Once you have created your mission statement and each team member has shared their background and motivations, define the team’s roles and responsibilities. 

You can now write down and define these roles, as follows:

• Spell out who is doing what and for whom.
• Assess all the expertise needed for the team to achieve its goals.
• Note gaps to fill. Are new team members needed (contract, part-time, occasional participants from within the company)?
• Create a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix of roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure that every team member’s voice is sought, recorded and reflected in the definitions. This is key to both the charter and the team success. If even one team member doesn’t feel heard or involved, or doesn’t support the structure, the team likely won’t succeed.

Fourth Element of a Successful Team Charter: Budget and Resources

Once you have defined roles and responsibilities, the team can assess its budget and resources for the tasks at hand. There are typically two ways to determine a team’s budget: the top-down method and the bottom-up method .

• The top-down method: In this scenario, the team uses the budget provided for the relevant time period, and decides how to divide it up among projects and tasks.
• The bottom-up method: There is often not enough time allotted for this method to be used, but it can be much more strategic and useful. In this method, the team as a group (or a dedicated sub-group) decides what kind of budget and resources it needs for its operations, and requests it of the larger organization.

However the budget is ultimately determined, it’s up to the team to ensure that the resources are then allocated correctly. Then the team can create a team budget that reflects projects and milestones.

Fifth Element of a Successful Team Charter: Internal Checks, Balances, and Reviews

A team charter is as effective as the actions that are measured against it, so it’s important for the team to discuss how it will handle internal checks, balances, and reviews. Charters should establish expectations, check-ins, and members’ individual goals. 

Team leaders should decide, also, whether team goals assigned to members will be reflected in the team members’ annual reviews. An efficient system is the use of SMART goals . These goals should be:

On Debbi Tillman’s team at Mitchell International, some of the team’s goals become akin to a company “service-level agreement.” For instance, as part of her program management department’s team charter, members have agreed that for every request of someone in the department, that person will get back to the requester within two hours. Additionally, any request and next steps will never have more than a two-day wait.

It’s also critical to spell out team members’ accountability. This applies to everything from attendance at team meetings to broad deliverables.

Finally, this step should ensure that there is no confusion about performance and individual comportment as they map back to the highest levels of the team charter.

Sixth Element of a Successful Team Charter: Team Member Assessment and Evaluations

To ensure the team doesn’t revert to a top-down model for evaluations, individual contributors should have the opportunity to give feedback on team leaders’ performance. Additionally, creating a culture of peer-to-peer feedback ensures that everyone’s perspective is heard.

Where to Learn More about Effective Team Chartering

If you’re interested in learning more about the theory and application of team chartering and how to create an effective team charter, there are several business books with useful information. Here are a few:

“The Six Sigma Way: How, GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies Are Honing Their Performance” , by Peter S. Pande, Robert P. Neuman, and Roland R. Cavanagh.

“Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders” , by Susan Wheelan.

“Creating Productive Organizations: Developing Your Work Force Manual” , by Elizabeth A. Smith.

Smartsheet Can Help You Create Effective Team Charters

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The Quick Guide to Team Charters (+Examples)

Table of Contents

Regardless of your organization’s size, working as part of a team is both tricky and rewarding. Everyone on the team brings their own skill sets, experiences, strengths, and challenges — which can foster collaboration or introduce obstacles. You’re expected to juggle numerous projects together, progress quickly, and move with agility. And while you all share the same goals, your individual objectives might differ. How does everyone stay on the same page?

It’s especially challenging in today’s workplace, where teams made up of employees working remotely or partially remotely, in different time zones, and across different office hubs need to stay aligned. Your team may be working asynchronously, but you want to make sure you’re producing synchronously. It’s not easy!

A team charter can help bring everyone together and concretize your goals. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics: what a team charter is, how to create one, and some examples to motivate and inspire you.

What is a team charter?

A team charter is a living document that serves as a North Star for a team or project. It articulates your team’s mission, scope of operation, objectives, and commitment. For a project, it can also spell out a timeframe and its consequences. The most effective team charters detail a team’s focus, direction, and boundaries. It reduces confusion, duplication, and repetition.

When to make a team charter

If you’ve been working together for a while, you might think you don’t need a team charter. After all, you already know your team goals. But what if your perception of those goals is slightly different from your teammates'? How can you capture everyone’s idea of what the team can — and should — strive to be? The defining feature of a team charter is that everyone contributes to its creation. Having a team charter ensures that every member of the team buys into the contents of the charter.

A top-down team charter created by management or by a few members simply isn’t going to work. The purpose of the charter is to get everyone aligned and committed. Without everyone’s input, that isn’t possible.

One of the great things about a team charter is that you can define “team” however you want. Let’s say you’re a content writer on the marketing team. You can create a team charter with the content team, the broader marketing team, or the entire org. It all depends on what you need and what you want to achieve.

As employees join and leave the company, it’s important to revisit the team charter periodically. Remember, it’s a living document. That means you should let it grow and change organically with your organization.

How to make a team charter

Making a charter for your team is a fun, collaborative process. Start by using the  Team Charter Template  as a canvas on which to create your own.

Once you have a place to collaborate with your team on your charter, here’s how to move through the exercise in five easy steps:

1) Start with the context . Who is the team leader? What should key stakeholders expect from this team? What does each contributor bring to the team? What are their individual expectations? Have everyone on the team write out their answers to these questions.

2) Define your vision and objectives . What does success look like for your team? In an ideal world, what would you accomplish? How are you working to support the rest of the org? Create a succinct mission statement that outlines what you hope to achieve.

3) Create deadlines, goals, and milestones  that map back to the mission statement. Define roles and responsibilities. Who is doing what? For whom? What does each team member need to achieve their goal?

4) Lay out your checks and balances . To create an effective team charter, you have to balance the aspirational with the tangible. The aspirational part of the charter is the mission statement and the vision. But it’s just as crucial to measure your progress toward your goals. Your charter should lay out the internal checks and balances that will ensure you’re reviewing everyone’s progress. How will you check in? When or how often? How will you measure success?

5) Have everyone on the team sign off on the charter. Many teams like to print it out and ask teammates to physically sign the paper, to symbolize their commitment.

Examples to get you started

There are many ways to create and structure your team charter. Here are a few examples of team charter templates you can use to create the ultimate team canvas:

Example 1: The Miro Team Charter

Get started on all the steps we outlined above with this  Team Charter Template . Once you've filled it out with your team on a Miro board, you can deepen it by adding to it over time — and can even use the board as a one-stop destination for team-building activities. Check out some of our favorite templates below as inspiration for more board possibilities within Miro!

Example 2: The Team Canvas by Alex Ivanov

Not only do we love Alex Ivanov's team canvas board , we also love the fact that he details how to run a workshop with your team to fill it out.

Example 3: Team Norms + Personal Profiles by Danny Carvajal

Team norms are crucial to define, especially when your team is remote or distributed. Danny Carvajal shows you how to do just that with this team norms template in Miroverse. The best part? It comes complete with a tutorial on how to lead this activity as a workshop with your team.

Example 4: Team Work Canvas

Add a section to your team charter board to identify principles and practices for how you work across common operating themes. This  Miroverse template by BetterWork  will walk you through how to reflect on, and define, how you work as a team.

Need more team-building inspiration?  Browse templates in Miroverse .

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What is a matrix organization?

What is a functional structure in an organization?

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• Team structure: 10 effective ways to or ...

Team structure: 10 effective ways to organize your team

A team structure defines the relationships between activities, leadership, and team members. While this may seem simple enough, team structures can have a huge impact on the distribution of authority and how teams collaborate and work together on a daily basis. 

Each organizational structure features a different chain of command and offers unique ways to encourage teamwork with the help of collaboration software . Likewise, each of these helps to form relationship dynamics and create a collegial work environment. 

From a functional structure to a flat structure, we’ll go over the 10 most effective ways to organize your team to help you find the right approach for your goals. 

1. Hierarchical structure

A hierarchical format is the basis of most organizational charts . A hierarchy is organized into a pyramid-like structure, with executives, directors, managers, and employees in order from the highest level to the lowest in the chain. This is by far the most widely used structure and creates clear boundaries between team members. 

Many organizations use the traditional hierarchy structure, though there are many variations you can choose from. These include a process-based and circular structure, which use a similar hierarchy but are visualized in different ways.

The number of layers your structure includes will depend on the size and complexity of your team. Most organizations have four or more layers, and visualize the structure in a company-wide org chart.

Best for teams that are looking for:

A straightforward reporting structure

Clear career paths

Specialties within individual positions 

Since this approach is a universal org structure, the hierarchical approach can work for most, if not all, teams. 

No more silos: Optimizing your organizational structure for stronger cross-team collaboration

In this ebook, learn how to structure your organization to prevent silos, move faster, and stay aligned in the face of change.

2. Functional structure

One of the most widely used team structures, apart from the hierarchical approach, is the functional organizational structure. In this approach, teams are grouped based on their skills and knowledge. These groups are then vertically structured between each department from the top-down, from the president to individual team members , and so on.

Functional structures organize top management—or a type of single authority—to oversee each department. 

While these teams will vary from company to company, the point of the functional structure is to allow for specialized skills and to prepare for organizational growth .

Field experts

Team accountability

Organizational growth

A key feature of the functional structure is the ability to cultivate niche specialties within different departments. 

3. Matrix structure

The matrix structure differs the most from other team structures as it doesn’t follow the typical hierarchical model. Instead, this team structure is organized in a grid format, with team members reporting to more than one leader. These relationships are commonly structured as primary and secondary reporting relationships. 

Matrix organizations use this structure in order to create a balance between leadership and, ultimately, the decision-making process. 

The approach you choose will depend on the nature of your teams and reporting structure. The main benefit is creating a balanced organizational structure, which can be achieved by establishing reporting lines for every individual to multiple leaders in different departments or divisions. 

A balance between units and products

Improved collaboration and communication

Fluid balance in leadership

This tends to work for teams that want to ensure decision making authority isn't limited to a handful of individuals, and rather, want team members to feel empowered to make decisions. 

4. Process-based structure

A process-based structure emphasizes different internal processes rather than departments. Similar to other structures, it’s also organized by hierarchy with leadership connected to these various processes.

This type of team structure is preferred by organizations whose processes take precedence over individual projects. These may be new processes or ones your organization has implemented already. 

Assistance with many different processes

Teams that are suited for this structure tend to be focused on internal processes and efficiency rather than external-facing projects. 

5. Circular structure

While visually different, the circular structure follows a hierarchical organization like most others. Higher-level team members are represented in the inner circle, and lower-level team members occupy the outer circles. Executive leadership is shown in the center of the circle, which represents the fluid relationship they have with each department head. 

This full-circle organizational structure keeps everyone connected, yet separate in their own circles. The number of rings in your structure will continue to increase until all individuals are placed at their appropriate level. 

Due to the visual nature of this structure, it’s best suited for small teams that aim to have fluid communication. 

Streamlined communication

Easy flow of information

Fluid relationships

While different from many other structures, this modern approach can work well for remote organizations that need help effectively communicating between leadership and team members. 

6. Flat structure

Unlike the triangular shape of a traditional org structure, a flat structure is an interconnected web with multiple flat levels. These levels include all leadership tiers, from executives to middle managers and beyond. The difference is that there is only ever a couple of steps between leadership and individual teams—unlike a hierarchical approach which could have many levels in between executives and lower-level team members. 

The flat structure is great for teams that want to create centralized or unified networks that link back to common goals. 

Your connections will differ depending on your teams and the involvement of executives. The main objective of this structure is to create a balance between leadership and cross-functional teams . 

Higher productivity

Aligned goals

Organizational clarity

If you’re willing to take a nontraditional approach, the flat method can have a tremendous impact on productivity and clarity. 

7. Network organizational structure

In a network organizational structure, teams are structured based on relative networks. This is primarily well-suited for organizations that require work to be done by external teams, have various global locations, or even own multiple small businesses. 

In this structure, each of these networks is organized as a separate entity and connected to one another by hubs.

Separating teams into hubs allows a lot of information to be shared within networks as opposed to sharing little information with a lot of networks. This is because team members are more likely to know the appropriate team member to contact within their hub and communication can flow freely. 

Communication within networks

Clear contact information

Specialties within networks

The network structure is most commonly used out of necessity. Most organizations won’t use it unless their team is already arranged into networks of some kind. 

8. Product-focused divisional structure

A divisional structure is one that groups each function into a separate division. Within this type of structure, there are a variety of specialized areas, including a product-focused structure. 

In this approach, each division is divided into individual product lines.

From there, select teams are responsible for each product line. This is helpful for organizations that revolve heavily around production and want to create clear responsibilities cross-departmentally.

Semi-autonomous divisions

Continuous product improvements

These features are best for teams heavily involved in product development and who prefer a balance of both individual work and teamwork. 

9. Market-focused divisional structure

While similar to product-focused, a market-focused division focuses on—you guessed it—individual markets. This can be anything from different industry types to customer types. Organizations that use this structure may have multiple brands under one umbrella company or even vastly different goods and services. 

This type of divisional structure creates clear responsibilities for specific departments. Companies that use this structure usually have a wide array of products and need help organizing departments across all the different product lines.

The ability to focus on one market at a time

Team specialization

Individual accomplishments

Similar to other divisional structures, a market-focused structure is best for teams that prefer a balance of both individual work and teamwork. 

10. Geographical divisional structure

The final divisional structure type focuses on geographical areas. Regions, territories, or districts are organized into separate divisions, creating clear boundaries and logistics across geographies. This structure is best for organizations that rely on customers or supply chain needs within specific regions. 

Dividing work can positively impact a variety of functions, including individual specialization and increased value in select geographical locations.

The ability to serve local communities

Communication with local customers or supply chain facilities

Team collaboration

Similar to the network structure, this type of divisional structure is most commonly used out of necessity. If your organization doesn’t have geographical limitations, like multiple brick-and-mortar locations or team members spread across multiple areas, you won’t need to worry about using this approach. Then again, it can be a great option for teams who do need a solution for geographically dispersed teams. 

Which team structure is right for you?

The right team structure for your organization depends on many factors, like the size of each team, the number of executives you have, and even your company values. While some may take more traditional approaches, others may take more modern ones. 

A couple of the key factors to consider when considering a new team structure mainly include communication and leadership balance—both of which can make or break a team dynamic.

Team structures and communication

When it comes to communication and clarity within an organization, there is very much a balance between too much and too little. Overcommunication can cause confusion and employee burnout. On the other hand, too little communication can result in duplicate work and low productivity. 

Team structures that embody balanced communication and clarity include:

The matrix structure

The circular structure

The network structure

These types of structures can be used for development teams, marketing teams, and most others in between. 

Team structures and leadership

Similar to the balance that organizational communication requires, the dynamic between leadership and team members is equally as crucial. Large gaps between upper and lower-level employees have the potential to create a lack of clarity and communication issues. 

Finding a balance can be tough. On the one hand, those in leadership roles should have authority over areas that have broad impact to the organization. On the other hand, limiting authority to a few individuals can feel disempowering for the vast majority of team members. 

Team structures that create a balance of leadership authority include:

The flat structure

The hierarchical structure

The right authority structure will help empower your team to contribute ideas and deliver work that makes an impact. 

Structure your team for success

Your team’s structure impacts everything from team building to employee morale and even business success. As a project manager , creating clear boundaries between different teams can help improve productivity and performance. 

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how to effectively assign tasks to team members to increase productivity?

Picture this: It's Monday morning, and your team is buzzing with excitement, ready to take on the week. But wait! Who's doing what? Does everyone know their roles and responsibilities? Ah, the perennial challenge of assigning tasks . If this rings a bell, worry not. We've all been there. Have you ever felt the sting of mismatched roles? Like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole? Assigned tasks play a pivotal role in the smooth functioning of any team. And guess what? There are methods and tools that make this process easier. Let’s dive in.

As a leader in the workplace, it is essential to ensure that everyone in the team gets the appropriate amount of work. Sometimes, it's tempting to give an employee more tasks than others, especially if he/she finishes the tasks faster. But keep in mind that as managers, you must be fair. You must learn how to effectively assign tasks to your team members . 

Although it may seem like a simple management function, assigning tasks to your team is actually challenging. As said by Liane Davey, cofounder of 3COze Inc. and author of  You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done , You are “juggling multiple interests” in the pursuit of optimal team performance.

Task distribution among various departments might vary from person to person. For efficient delegation, it is vital to consider guidelines while distributing duties to team members.

Tasks that are delegated effectively move your people, projects, and the entire business forward. It increases management and staff trust and accountability, helps in refining and teaching new abilities, enables personnel to become acquainted with various groups and areas of employment, and is an excellent foundation for performance reviews, etc.

How do you assign tasks to your employees? 

Assigning tasks is typically perceived as a time-consuming activity that focuses on removing items from task lists in order to keep the project moving forward. Task assignment, nevertheless, ought to be a more employee-focused procedure that calls for extra commitment and work, which produces excellent outcomes. 

Here are some tips to effectively assign tasks to your employees:

1. Delegate Positively

Don't just throw work at someone and expect them to deliver when they might not be qualified for that particular assignment. Maintain a mindset of doubting every assignment you gave and go over your personnel roster to see whether anyone else is capable of completing it as effectively as you can. They will be more likely to believe that they can do the assignment in the manner that the leader desires if they have a positive outlook. Employees won't feel inspired to start their assignment if you adversely assign them or have doubts about their competence. A little encouragement will make their day happier and encourage them to confidently do the tasks given to them.

2. Set Clear Goals and Objectives

To understand how your team performs, you should set clear goals and objectives before entrusting them with any responsibilities. When goals and objectives are not defined, it'll be harder for your team to see the big picture and perform tasks in a particular manner. 

3. Assign the Right Task to the Right Employee

This is the key to productivity. Who has the most expertise and experience should be given priority, but don't give that individual too much work. You should also think about who needs to develop their sense of responsibility. Also, take into account the passage of time and their eagerness to seize the opportunity. To do this, the manager should create a delegation plan that considers the various skill sets of each employee and assign tasks that are properly suited to each individual. On the other hand, when a task requires an extraordinary employee and there is a talent shortage, the leaders themselves should do the assignment in an emergency or without a workforce.

4. Obtain Inputs from Your Team and Set Up Meetings if Possible

Get suggestions from your team on what should be modified, who you could include, and how outcomes should be defined. Engage with the specific managers of the sub-teams if you are in charge of a large team or organization. A meeting with the entire team is necessary before assigning tasks to team members. You may obtain a clear picture of who is responsible for what and how purposefully they can do the assignment. Getting suggestions from your team members ensures that each of them will contribute to the task's accomplishment.

5. Conduct Training and Supervision

A project's completion necessitates the blending of various delegation techniques, a high degree of team member commitment, and effective planning and execution. It is essential to teach the team members and meet with the team every day in order to produce a skilled workforce. The training includes free access to resources for developing skills, such as courses from Upskillist ,  Udemy , or  Coursera . Following the training phase, the work must be supervised by a professional to ensure that the team learned from the training provided. Before and throughout the task assignment and execution among several team members, training and supervision are equally crucial.

6. Communicate Constantly

It doesn't mean that when you're done delegating the tasks, everything's good. No, it doesn't work that way. Constant communication is also the key to unlocking productivity. You need to collaborate with your team . Professionals at work must keep a close watch on their team members to learn about any challenges or issues they may be having.  For the task to be completed and the status of each team member to be tracked, communication is essential. Following up on tasks you assign to your employees helps them manage pressure and boost job productivity since problems like stress and pressure may tangle them and slow them down. Employee burnout is a result of micromanagement, which is not a good concept. It is best to let staff go free by following up casually.

7. Know who to Handover Authorization and Control

Decentralized power relieves employers of job management. Make sure to provide your staff some authority when you delegate tasks to them using management apps such as Trello , Asana , Edworking , Slack , and the like. Employees become empowered and responsible for completing tasks as a result of the control transfer. Giving them too little authority can cause issues because they lose interest in their work while giving them too much control might overwhelm them and cause them to forget basic responsibilities. The key to the team's success is giving each member the authority they rightfully deserve while also soliciting input.

8. After the project, assess the results

Ask yourself how you as the manager could support the success of your team members more effectively. Give constructive criticism and accept it in return.

The most vital phase in job completion is assigning tasks to team members. Due to the frequent mistakes made while delegating duties, it is imperative to use management tools when giving your team responsibilities. Project management solutions provide better work allocations by incorporating features like marketing automation. Employee development and time tracking are made easier by the task assignment guidelines, which also help keep workers interested. 

Allocating Vs. Delegating Tasks 

Now that you've learned about some tips to properly assign tasks, you may also have questions like, "what's the difference between allocating and delegating tasks?" 

As stated by Abhinav in a published article on LinkedIn, "The imbalance of responsibility and accountability is the main difference between Delegation and Allocation." What does it mean? Delegation gives a real opportunity for your team to upskill, grow, and develop. Allocating tasks is merely assigning tasks without the goal of helping your team grow.

Although assigning tasks has its merits, delegating tasks offers significant advantages in terms of employee growth and engagement. Because delegation when done well delivers diversity and other intrinsic motivational incentives that make work so much more meaningful, it will be even more rewarding for the manager and team members.

Task Tips and Best Practices 

In order to accomplish our objectives and SMART goals, we define a particular number of tasks that we must do each day. We frequently take on more than we can handle in the fight to remain at the top of our game and maintain our competitive edge.

Even while everything appears to be of the utmost importance, something is off in your struggle to finish everything while maintaining your composure. Some of us have a lengthy list of things we want to get done before a given age or period. Others devote so much effort to honing a particular skill that by the time it shines, it is no longer relevant.

Time management and balancing workload are not just skills of project managers or superiors. In reality, these abilities should be embraced at every level, particularly when working in a team. Research by Cornerstone found that when workers believe they don't have enough time in the day to do their jobs, work overload reduces productivity by 68%. What tips and best practices should you do so you don't only allocate tasks but delegate them effectively?

1. Prioritize. Make a to-do list according to the order of priority

Even if to-do lists are classic, they are still more efficient and effective than ever. People used to keep handwritten notes for ideas and tasks back in the day.  There are smart to-do lists apps and software that provide notifications and reminders prior to the task's due date. 

2. Maximize productivity and minimize procrastination

To start, delegate the tasks to the right people. Don't do it tomorrow or the next day. Do it today. Having a lot to accomplish may be stressful, which is sometimes worse than the actual task. If you struggle with procrastination, it's possible that you haven't come up with a good task management strategy. You might express your lack of starting knowledge by procrastinating. It could not be laziness, but rather a matter of setting priorities.

3. Be motivated

Procrastination and a lack of motivation are closely correlated. When you lack motivation, you tend to get distracted. If you want to meet milestones and deadlines, be motivated.

4. Delegate and be involved

The reality of being overburdened can have a negative impact on productivity if it is not properly managed. At the end of the day, we're still just humans. When it comes to having patience, resilience, working under pressure, or finishing a task quickly, each one of us possesses a certain set of skills. So, delegate the right tasks to the right person in your team, and don't just stop there. Be involved. Leaving the stadium just because you're done delegating is a big no. Keep in touch with them and follow up on the progress of the tasks assigned.

Task Vs. Subtask 

Tasks and subtasks are quite similar. The only difference is that a subtask should be completed as an element of completing a larger and more complex task.

For example, the task is to increase your company's social media presence. So, what should you do to accomplish those tasks? That's when you have subtasks such as creating optimized posts and content on various social media platforms, scheduling them, interacting with your audience in the comment section, etc. 

The additional stages that make up a task are called subtasks. They are essential while working on large projects with a wide range of tasks. In some task management tools, You may create as many subtasks as you need in the task view, but you must first choose the parent task before you can create a subtask.

Why You Should Assign Tasks Effectively to Team Members

Enhance team productivity.

Efficient task assignment can work wonders for your team's productivity. When each team member knows their role and is well-suited for their tasks, they can focus on delivering high-quality results. Imagine a well-oiled machine, with each cog spinning smoothly and in harmony - that's your team at peak productivity!

Consider these points:

• Match tasks to individual skills : Ensure tasks align with your team members' unique abilities and expertise.
• Set clear expectations : Be transparent about deadlines, deliverables, and objectives.
• Foster collaboration : Encourage communication and collaboration among team members.

Nurture a Sense of Ownership

Assigning tasks effectively helps to in still a sense of ownership and responsibility within your team. When individuals understand their role in a project, they are more likely to take pride in their work and strive for excellence. It's like planting a seed - with proper care and attention, it'll grow into a strong, thriving tree.

Key elements to foster ownership:

• Encourage autonomy : Allow team members to make decisions and take charge of their tasks.
• Provide feedback : Offer constructive feedback and celebrate successes.
• Support development : Invest in your team members' growth through training and development opportunities.

Reduce Work Overload and Burnout

Nobody wants to be buried under an avalanche of tasks. By allocating work effectively, you can prevent team members from feeling overwhelmed and burned out. Just as we can't run on empty, neither can our team members - so, let's ensure they have a manageable workload.

Strategies to avoid overload:

• Balance workloads : Distribute tasks evenly and consider individual capacities.
• Encourage breaks : Promote a healthy work-life balance and remind your team to take breaks.
• Monitor progress : Regularly check in with your team members to assess their workloads and stress levels.

Boost Employee Engagement

An engaged employee is a happy and productive one. When you assign tasks effectively, you're laying the groundwork for increased engagement. Think of it as a dance - with the right choreography, everyone knows their steps and performs in harmony.

Steps to enhance engagement:

• Align tasks with goals : Ensure tasks contribute to the overall goals of your team and organization.
• Offer variety : Mix up tasks to keep things interesting and provide opportunities for growth.
• Recognize achievements : Acknowledge hard work and accomplishments.

Improve Overall Team Morale

Finally, effective task assignment can lead to a happier, more cohesive team. When everyone feels valued and supported, team morale soars. Imagine a choir, each voice blending harmoniously to create a beautiful symphony - that's a team with high morale.

Ways to uplift team morale:

• Empower decision-making : Encourage team members to contribute their ideas and be part of the decision-making process.
• Foster a positive atmosphere : Cultivate an environment of open communication, trust, and support.
• Celebrate successes : Acknowledge both individual and team achievements, and celebrate them together.

Tools to Simplify Task Assignments in Teams

Microsoft outlook: not just for emails.

Yes, you heard that right. Beyond sending emails, Outlook has task features that allow managers to assign work to team members. You can set deadlines, prioritize, and even track progress. Think of it as your digital task manager. How cool is that?

Google Docs: Collaboration Made Easy

A favorite for many, Google Docs allows real-time collaboration. Need to distribute tasks ? Create a shared document, list down the tasks, and voila! Everyone can view, edit, or comment. Ever thought of using a simple shared document as a task distribution board?

Trello: Visual Task Management

For those of us who are visual creatures, Trello is a game-changer. Create boards, list assigned duties , and move them across columns as they progress. Remember playing with building blocks as a kid? It’s pretty much that, but digital and for grown-ups!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assigning tasks effectively is a skill that every leader must master to ensure team productivity and employee satisfaction. While the tips provided earlier can help you get there, being aware of common mistakes in task assignment is equally crucial. Avoiding these pitfalls can save you from derailing your projects and hampering your team's morale.

1. Overburdening Skilled Employees

It's tempting to give the bulk of the work to your most skilled team members, but this can lead to burnout and decreased productivity in the long term.

2. Lack of Clarity in Instructions

Vague or unclear instructions can result in misunderstandings, leading to poor quality of work or project delays. Always be specific and clear about what is expected.

3. Micromanaging

While it’s essential to oversee the progress of tasks, hovering over your team members can undermine their confidence and create a stressful work environment.

4. Failing to Prioritize Tasks

Not all tasks are created equal. Failing to prioritize can lead to poor allocation of resources, with less important tasks taking away time and energy from critical objectives.

5. Ignoring Team Input

Ignoring suggestions or feedback from your team can result in missed opportunities for more effective delegation and stronger team cohesion.

6. One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Remember that each team member has unique skills and limitations. Assigning tasks without considering these factors can lead to ineffective results and frustrated employees.

7. Neglecting Follow-Up

Assigning a task is not the end but part of an ongoing process. Failing to follow up can result in delays and could indicate to your team that the task wasn’t that important to begin with.

8. Fear of Delegating

Sometimes managers avoid delegating tasks because they feel that no one else can do the job as well as they can. This not only increases your workload but also deprives team members of growth opportunities.

A significant aspect of a leader's duties is delegating assignments to team members effectively. The secret to a manager's team functioning like an efficient machine is wise delegation.

Because of delegation, you won't have to spend hours on work that someone else can complete more quickly. Trying to handle everything on your own can quickly wear you out, regardless of your knowledge or expertise. Effectively delegating tasks enables you to keep on top of your own work while assisting team members in acquiring new abilities and developing a sense of comfort with taking ownership of tasks. 

Proper delegation of tasks also provides managers and team members with a learning opportunity since it enables everyone to build trust and become accustomed to exchanging comments and showing each other respect and appreciation.

Less is more when attempting to boost your team's output. Your team may become burned out if you try to increase their production too rapidly. In contrast, if you're too aggressive, your team can lose interest in their work and productivity might drop. Keep in mind that everyone will be more productive if they are part of the decision-making and execution process.

If you want to delegate tasks with ease and convenience, go for Edworking . This management tool lets you assign tasks and oversee your team's progress in a specific task. You can also conduct meetings to meet your team.`

Know that productivity greatly matters. With the right knowledge of assigning tasks to your team members, you can maximize productivity. Thus, achieving the goals and objectives of your organization.

What is the best way to assign tasks to team members?

Recognizing and understanding each member's unique strengths and expertise is paramount. Instead of assigning tasks randomly, it's always better to match each job with the individual’s skill set. Consider open dialogue, seek feedback, and ensure the assigned tasks align with both team and individual goals. It's a bit like giving everyone their favorite role in a play; wouldn't they shine brighter?

How do you assign tasks to a team in Teamwork?

In Teamwork, tasks can be assigned effortlessly. Start by creating a task list, then add individual tasks. Within each task, there's an option to 'Assign To.' Simply choose the team member you wish to assign the task to. Think of it as passing the baton in a relay race – each person knows when to run and when to pass it on!

Why is it important to assign tasks to your team members?

Assigning specific tasks helps in streamlining the workflow, ensuring accountability, and reducing overlaps or gaps in responsibilities. It also empowers team members by giving them ownership of their work. Have you ever seen a football team where everyone runs after the ball? Without clear roles, it's chaos!

How do you politely assign a task?

Start by acknowledging the individual's capabilities and expressing confidence in their ability to handle the task. Then, clearly explain the job's scope, expectations, and its importance in the overall project. Think of it as offering a piece of cake, not dumping a plate on their lap!

How do short term goals differ from long term goals?

Short-term goals act as stepping stones towards achieving long-term goals. While short-term goals focus on immediate challenges and tasks (think weeks or months), long-term goals look at the bigger picture and can span years. It's like comparing a sprint to a marathon. One's quick and intense, the other's about endurance and the long haul.

• Getting started
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• Manage your Team's Plans
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Getting started with Planner in Teams

The Planner app in Microsoft Teams brings together all your tasks and plans across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem in a single convenient location. It helps you manage tasks more efficiently for individual plans and team initiatives, as well as larger scale projects that are aligned to goals and key strategic objectives. 

Once you add the Planner app to Teams, you'll find:

My Day : Includes any tasks that are due today, along with any tasks you choose to add to this view.

My Tasks : Includes a dedicated place called Private Tasks for you to quickly create tasks, Flagged Emails, and Tasks that have been assigned to you from Team’s meeting notes, basic plans, premium plans, and Loop components.

My Plans : Includes all of your To Do lists, basic plans, and premium plans.

New Plan : Create new personal or shared plans directly in the app.

You can also use the Planner app to get notifications about Planner tasks.

Add the Planner app

Tip:  To pin the app for easy access, right click on Planner after adding the app and select Pin . To open the Planner app in a separate window, select Open in new window .

Note:  If you don't see Planner, your organization might not have the app turned on. Check with your administrator to find out more.

Plan your day with My Day 

My Day is a clutter-free focus space that helps you stay on top of tasks that you want to focus on today. Tasks from My Tasks and personal plans that are due today will show up in My Day. You can also create tasks that you feel are important and may need your attention.

Your daily dashboard:

Handpicked priorities: Determine and add your main tasks for the day.

Auto-population: Tasks from My Tasks and personal plans that are due today automatically appear on My Day, keeping you on top of important deadlines.

Prioritize and work on these tasks: Once the tasks are on My Day, you can prioritize the tasks in the order you want to accomplish them today.

Start fresh in My Day each day: My Day clears itself every night, so you can start the next day with a blank slate and personalize your day. Any unfinished tasks in My Day that are left over before it clears will be available in the original Plan that they came from.

Track your tasks in My Tasks

Planner offers a purpose-built My Tasks view, designed to centralize all the tasks relevant to you. My Tasks is organized into four distinct views, each serving a unique purpose:

Private tasks :   Private tasks is a place for you to quickly jot down tasks at the speed of thought. This is a place where you can create tasks that do not belong to a plan yet. You can then further organize these tasks inside Plans by selecting More actions, which will help you move these unorganized tasks in definitive plans.

Assigned to me :   Includes all of the tasks that have been assigned to you in Teams meeting notes, basic plans, premium plans, Loop component, and shared lists in To Do.

Flagged emails : All your flagged emails from Outlook appear in the Flagged emails section. You can also navigate to the emails directly from the task by selecting the attachment.

All : The All view provides an aggregation of all your individual tasks from Private tasks, Assigned to me, and Flagged emails. You can then filter and sort to meet your needs. For example, if you want to see all your tasks that are due tomorrow and are urgent, just apply the filter on this view and you will get a curated list of tasks.

See all of your plans with My Plans

The My Plans page in Planner shows all of your plans, no matter where they were created. This includes lists created in To Do, plans created in Planner and Project for the web, Loop plans, plans from Teams meeting notes, and more.

The My Plans page provides five filters to help find the right plan or list:

Recent:  Shows your most recently accessed plans and lists.

Shared:  Shows your shared plans and lists.

Personal:  Shows your personal plans and lists.

Pinned:  Shows all plans and lists you have pinned.

My teams:  Shows all of your plans that are shared with a Team’s channel.

Tip:  Use keywords to quickly find plans and lists by selecting  Filter by keyword .

Create new plans

With plans, you can easily manage your team workload, track work towards team goals, organize work into sprints using agile planning, track dependencies on the timeline view, and more.

Get notifications about Planner tasks

Task notifications will appear in your Teams activity feed both on your desktop and in the Teams mobile app. You'll get a notification when:

Someone else assigns a task to you.

Someone else assigns an urgent task to you.

Someone else makes a task assigned to you urgent.

Someone else makes a task assigned to you not urgent.

Someone else changes the progress of a task assigned to you.

Someone removes you from a task's assignees.

More information

To learn more about what you can do with plans in Planner, please check out:

Manage your Personal Tasks with Planner in Teams

Manage your Team's Plans with Planner in Teams

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Team Charter: The Ultimate Guide (with Examples & Templates)

Team charters are crucial for team success. Working as a team leader or team member in a group setting is exciting and tricky, especially when you are the group leader.

Every team member brings their strengths and weaknesses to the union. While there are certain shared values and goals in the team, they may be differences in their individual expectations.

How do you ensure the team is always on the same page? Are team charters enough to clarify team direction and team purpose across the entire organization?

This guide will show you how to create a team charter to help run your team's day-to-day operations.

What is a Team Charter?

A team charter is a document that outlines a project team’s focus, mission, roles and responsibilities, objectives, scope of operation, deliverables , and appropriate schedules. You can liken a charter to a North Star, pointing your team in the right direction.

The success of a team charter depends on the project team’s purpose, level of focus, direction, and boundaries.

By defining the team’s goals, resources, and likely obstacles, a team charter helps determine and develop the best way to deliver on the project’s deliverables and achieve a smooth overall purpose.

A team charter helps inculcate a sense of accountability among team members while providing means for feedback to improve employee engagement. It helps establish the ground rules for how your team functions.

The team's direction regarding project planning and other team activities is a collaborative process.

Getting everyone’s input and buy-in is essential for project success. Ensuring team members sign off on the charter is a smart way of keeping them committed and on the same page.

Components of a Team Charter

A team charter contains a series of distinct and pivotal elements that provide a clear roadmap to the team’s success.

• Mission Statement and Objectives: This section of the team charter explains the purpose and expectancies of the project team regarding specific goals.
• Roles and Responsibilities: All team member’s individual and collective roles and responsibilities relating to the project process are in the charter.
• Budget and Resources: A well-drawn-up charter details the approach to determining the budgetary requirement of the project and the most efficient way of redistributing the allocated budget to meet and deliver on set project deliverables.
• Work Processes and Operations: This component is where you provide thorough and detailed information on the project team’s work processes, such as their day-to-day operations.
• Boundaries and Potential Bottlenecks: Effectively managing project risks is a collective effort of the team. Outline all potential risks in the charter with the most efficient methods of tackling them to eradicate or minimize these risks as they arise.
• Signatures: This final segment of a team charter deals solely with accountability. All team members must consent to the team charter by appending their signatures to the final document.

How to Create a Team Charter

Team leaders should not take up an authoritative stance when it comes to drawing up a team charter as it defeats the purpose behind it. An effective team charter is a collaborative effort among all team members.

1. Define the Purpose of the Project Team

Irrespective of the number of projects currently undertaken by the project team, there is a stand-out purpose for constituting the project team.

This purpose is the first piece of information you should include in your charter document. Include the mission statement and objectives with the team’s purpose to create a sense of awareness and commitment for the team members.

The final decision on the team's purpose should come after a series of brainstorming team meetings involving all stakeholders.

Before meeting with relevant stakeholders, set up an effective team meeting agenda to avoid wastefulness. Ensure the purpose gets general acceptance from every member of the project team.

2. Create a Defined Structure for the Team

When choosing the structure of your agile team , it is important to create room for cross-team collaboration . The structure of your team is key information that makes up your charter.

By detailing every member's role and responsibility individually and collectively as a team, your team charter can now act as a major accountability document in disputes as to who was supposed to do what.

From the highest-ranking team member to the least ranked, define the team's structure, break it down into smaller units, and assign their roles and responsibilities.

Having a defined structure for the team makes it easier for new team members not involved in creating the charter to adapt to the expectations and workload easily .

Note that these roles are not permanent and can be subject to change based on ability and availability but all at the project manager's discretion. Project managers lead the team and determine the project’s direction.

3. Choose an Efficient Budgetary and Resource Allocation Strategy

Finding the most effective distribution formula for sharing the available project resources is difficult for the project manager.

The resources are limited and require the most stringent management strategy to ensure it spans the entirety of the project process.

Selecting proper cost management strategies is essential for any team. Include it in the team charter document to serve as a guide during the project planning phase.

The project’s primary goal is to use the available resources to produce the desired outcome efficiently.

Using the right budgetary and resource management software ensures the project team works within the budget during project execution. It helps the team work on reducing these costs to the barest minimum.

All key stakeholders involved in the project should agree on the final resource and budgetary sharing formula before documentation in the team charter.

4. Outline Project Workflow

The project workflow consists of the steps and processes that link the project team and the correct data required to help the project team deliver the desired outcome.

You begin the project planning phase workflow to ensure all team members can understand the project plan . Set up automated workflows to make your team’s workload easier and more enjoyable.

A standard project workflow includes the following steps in its design and setup:

• A proper definition of project goals and objectives
• A measurement metric to measure success
• Outline all project team members' individual and collective roles and responsibilities
• Effective budgetary and resource allocation plan
• Specific project milestones and deliverables with a complementary expected delivery schedule

Irrespective of the complexity of a project, a well-detailed workflow would ensure a proper project roadmap for delivering on the project’s goals and objectives.

5. Establish a Standard Communication Mechanism

Team communication plays a pivotal role in the successful outcome of a project. The team leader must enable a conducive environment for interpersonal relationships among team members to grow.

Although there is no clear-cut procedural laydown for how to carry out communication, frequent communication among team members is important.

Constantly seeking means to improve the communication among the project team is a constant dilemma that the team leader faces.

Poor communication can affect the project outcome to a large extent. Including a standardized means of communication accepted by all team members is essential.

You can use team communication tools to aid team communication and help your company build a high-performing team.

6. Highlight Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies

Conflict arising during a project process is largely inevitable and affects, to a large extent, the project’s progress. Put in place proactive strategies and ground rules to prevent the occurrence of these conflicts or manage them as they arise.

Although disagreement on its own is not bad, it fosters challenging and often bright ideas in some cases, ensuring you contain its excesses.

Every team member should feel comfortable bringing their ideas to the table. Basic team rules on the dos and don’ts regarding team conduct should be clear in the team charter.

7. Final Review and Sign-Off

At this stage, the team signs to express their agreement to the charter. Compile a draft copy of the team charter and make it available to all project team members for review and further discussion before publishing the final document.

Evert team member must sign off the team charter to ensure everyone can be held accountable for the overall team's success.

Team Charter Template (and Examples)

You do not have to design a team charter from thin air. You can use several charter templates and examples to gain inspiration to create yours. Many of these charter templates are free and require you to customize them to suit your current team’s needs.

1. General Team Charter

This charter template comes with options of ready customized templates. You only need to fill in the required parameters and answer the following questions in the charter template. TemplateLab’s charter template is suitable for a marketing team.

2. Team Canvas

This team charter is unique because it has a canvas board detailing effective ways to organize a successful workshop with your project team.

3. Team Charter Board

This template is highly effective for teams assembled remotely or not constituted in a specific location as it utilizes team norms.

4. Team Charter Template by SlideModel

This SlideModel’s charter template serves as a roadmap to help project managers and teams move their projects forward.

Team Charters FAQ

A team charter is a document that aims to define the project team’s goals and objectives, individual and collective roles and responsibilities, available budgetary allocation, and the likely constraints.  It can help provide new zeal and purpose to an already operational but dysfunctional team if properly utilized.   

After successfully drawing up an effective team charter, it is important to keep tabs on the level of implementation of the team charter by the team.  Doing so gives you a comprehensive overview of your high-performing team's organization and the progress made regarding delivering the project goals and objectives.

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Anastasia belyh.

Anastasia has been a professional blogger and researcher since 2014. She loves to perform in-depth software reviews to help software buyers make informed decisions when choosing project management software, CRM tools, website builders, and everything around growing a startup business.

Anastasia worked in management consulting and tech startups, so she has lots of experience in helping professionals choosing the right business software.

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What Is a Gantt Chart? A How-to Guide with Examples for Project Management

Whether you’re a project management rookie or veteran, you’ve probably heard of a gantt chart. While gantt charts might seem intimidating, they’re not as mystifying as you might think.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the gantt chart—from its definition and parts to how to create one quickly and easily. Find out how gantt charts work and why so many project teams use them in project management.

Watch this video for a quick breakdown of the basics.

What is a gantt chart?: Definition & overview

A gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart used in project management to visually represent a project plan over time. Gantt charts typically show you the timeline and status—as well as who’s responsible—for each task in the project.

Here’s a quick look at the details a gantt chart enables you to capture at a glance:

• How a project breaks down into tasks
• When each task will begin and end
• How long each task will take
• Who’s assigned to each task
• How tasks relate to and depend on each other
• When important meetings, approvals, or deadlines need to happen
• How work is progressing in a project
• The full project schedule from start to finish

In other words, a gantt chart is a super-simple way to communicate what it will take to deliver a project on time and budget. That means it’s a whole lot easier to keep your project team and stakeholders on the same page from the get-go.

Who invented the gantt chart?

The first project management chart was invented by Karol Adamiecki in 1896. So why isn’t it called an Adamiecki chart? Good question!

Although Adamiecki created his precursor to the gantt chart—called the harmonogram—in the late 19th century, he didn’t publish it until 1931. It got limited exposure at the time because it was only published in Polish.

Meanwhile, Henry Gantt published his own project management system in the 1910s to a much wider audience.

Here’s a quick history of gantt charts:

• 1896 : Karol Adamiecki creates the first project management chart: the Harmonogram, a precursor to the modern gantt chart.
• 1931 : Adamiecki publishes the harmonogram (but in Polish with limited exposure).
• 1910-1915 : Henry Gantt publishes his own project management system, the gantt chart.
• Today : Gantt charts are the preferred tool for managing projects of all sizes and types.

Basic components of a gantt chart

Gantt charts may seem complicated at first. But once you learn how to read them, you’ll be able to tell exactly where your projects are and what needs to happen to guide them to success.

Reading a gantt chart really comes down to understanding how the different elements come together to make a gantt chart work. Here’s a simple gantt chart example with explanations of the core components:

Let’s break down the basic parts of a gantt chart so you understand how they function in a project plan.

• Task list : Runs vertically down the left of the gantt chart to describe project work and may be organized into groups and subgroups
• Timeline : Runs horizontally across the top of the gantt chart and shows months, weeks, days, and years
• Dateline : A vertical line that highlights the current date on the gantt chart
• Bars : Horizontal markers on the right side of the gantt chart that represent tasks and show progress, duration, and start and end dates
• Milestones : Yellow diamonds that call out major events, dates, decisions, and deliverables
• Dependencies : Light gray lines that connect tasks that need to happen in a certain order
• Progress : Shows how far along work is and may be indicated by percent complete and/or bar shading
• Resource assigned : Indicates the person or team responsible for completing a task

What is a gantt chart used for in project management?

In project management, gantt charts are used for planning and scheduling projects. A gantt chart is incredibly useful because it allows you to simplify complex projects into an easy-to-follow plan and track the status of tasks as work progresses.

Gantt charts also help you keep track of project deadlines, milestones, and hours worked so you can spot and address delays or overages before they wreak havoc on your project.

Who uses gantt charts?

Gantt charts are used by project managers, business owners, team leaders, and executives in many different industries across various departments. Here are just a few types of companies and teams that use gantt charts to plan, schedule, and execute their projects:

• Construction
• Consulting agencies
• Engineering firms
• Event planning
• Human resources
• Marketing teams
• Manufacturing
• Software development

When should you use a gantt chart?

A gantt chart comes in handy when your project requires more planning than a basic to-do list. Here are a few sure signs you’re going to need a gantt chart to get the job done:

• Your project has a hard deadline.
• Multiple people or teams are involved in the project and need to be coordinated.
• A boss, client, or team member wants to see a visual timeline of the project from beginning to end.
• Your project involves even just a little complexity, such as tasks that need to be done in a specific order.
• Team members work on multiple projects at a time, and you need to manage their workloads.
• You have a good idea of roughly how long each task should or can take.

If ANY of the conditions above apply to your project, use a gantt chart!

Gantt chart examples

Now let’s look at 7 examples of gantt charts you could use for different project types. Use these ideas as an easy starting point for making a gantt chart for your projects.

Software project gantt chart

Taking a hybrid approach to an upcoming software project? This software development plan shows you how to use a gantt chart for an Agile project . Tasks have been organized into groups based on sprints, with milestones for sprint planning and deployment.

Try this template for free!

Design project gantt chart

This sample gantt chart is perfect for planning a website build or redesign. It breaks activities down into basic phases from discovery, content, and design to development, launch, and maintenance. Feel free to keep your website development plan simple or build it out to cover all your project bases.

Media production gantt chart

Want to get one step closer to lights, camera, action? We designed this video production schedule to help you hit your release dates right on time. In this gantt chart example, tasks are organized and color-coded by the 3 phases of a media project: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Marketing gantt charts

Writing your first marketing plan can feel daunting. This digital marketing plan makes it easy to outline key strategies for meeting your objectives. Use this gantt chart to track goal progress and keep your team and stakeholders informed. In this example, we grouped quarterly initiatives by project type.

Need to plan an integrated digital marketing campaign ? The gantt chart sample below shows you how to build a tactical plan across all your digital media. It’s got tasks for foundational planning, content, and design work, plus subgroups for different marketing channels so you can outline a strategy for each one.

Event planning gantt chart

This event plan checklist breaks your event plan down into all the granular details. You can group tasks by planning phase and even vendor. In this example, we’ve used milestones to track important meetings, decisions, and deadlines and added dependencies between tasks that must get done before the next one can start.

Construction gantt chart

Construction project managers rely on gantt charts to manage moving parts across large projects. In this sample construction schedule , each phase of the construction process has been broken down into its own group of tasks. Important contract sign-off and inspections are represented by milestones.

How to make a gantt chart

Now that you’ve got the gantt chart basics down, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and create a gantt chart of your own! Let’s walk through the process of how to build a gantt chart for your next project.

In this section, we’ll go over:

What you need to create a gantt chart

How to build a basic gantt chart in minutes, best practices for creating an effective gantt chart.

You can’t build a gantt chart without knowing some basic project information. That’s why it’s important to answer a few simple questions first.

These questions can help you gather all the right details so you can sketch out a project plan before you sit down to create your gantt chart. Get a more detailed look at how to write a good project plan.

What to consider when making a gantt chart

• What are the major deliverables?
• How will we get to those deliverables and the deadline ?
• What are the milestones we need to hit?
• Are there dependencies that could impact the project timeline ?
• Who is on the project team, and what role will they play in those deliverables?

There are lots of different ways to make a gantt chart. Some people use traditional desktop apps to create a gantt chart, while others use collaborative project management software .

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how it’s done in TeamGantt. If you’d rather use a spreadsheet to build your gantt chart, we’ve got guides for that too.

• How to make a gantt chart in Excel
• How to make a gantt chart in Google Sheets

Just be sure to choose a gantt chart builder that gives you the features you need.

Follow the steps and examples below to learn how to build a gantt chart in TeamGantt in minutes. Sign up for a free account to follow along and create a gantt chart of your own.

Step 1: Set up your project details

Before you start mapping out tasks on a timeline, you need to gather a few basic project details.

To create a new gantt chart in TeamGantt, click the New Project button in the upper right corner of the My Projects screen.

Give your project a name and start date, and select the days of the week you want to include in your project.

Tip : You have 2 options for fast-tracking your build if you don’t want to create a gantt chart from scratch: create a project from a template or import a project via CSV. ‍

Once you’ve completed these basics, click Create New Project to move on to adding tasks.

Step 2: Add tasks to your project

Adding tasks to your gantt chart is the first step in creating your project timeline. To create tasks, click on the Add Task link ( +Task ), and type the name of your first task.

Hit enter to add another task. Repeat this process until you have all (or most) of your tasks added to the task list.

Step 3: Schedule your tasks

Now that you’ve got a full list of work to be done, it’s time to schedule all those tasks. TeamGantt makes scheduling tasks super-simple because you can drag and drop each task on your timeline.

To place the taskbar on your gantt chart, simply click on the timeline below the date you'd like to schedule your task. Then drag either side of the taskbar to shorten or extend the task's duration.

Step 4: Add important project milestones

Adding milestones to your gantt chart makes it easy to track project deadlines, approvals, meetings, and other key deliverables or events. In TeamGantt, a milestone appears as a yellow diamond on your gantt chart.

To add a milestone to your gantt chart, simply click on the Milestone link, give your new milestone a name, and drag the milestone icon across the gantt chart to schedule it on the timeline.

Repeat this process until you have all your milestones added to the list.

Step 5: Add dependencies to the tasks that need them

Now that your tasks and milestones are entered and scheduled, hover over a task, and click the gray dot that appears.

Click and drag the dependency line to the task you want to link it to.

Step 6: Invite people to your project and assign tasks to those responsible

Click the Invite People button at the upper right corner of your project to go to your project’s People page. From there, click the blue Invite People link, located just below the list of people who are already part of your project.

If the user already exists in your account:

Simply select the checkbox next to the person you want to add to your project, then click the blue Add to Project button that appears. This person will automatically receive an invitation to log into TeamGantt and access the project.

If the user does not exist in your account yet:

Click the Add New Person link. Then enter the person’s name and email address, select their company-level permission , and click the Add User to Company button. (Note: Guest users and Basic users are automatically added with View Only project permission, while Advanced users are added with Edit Chart project permission.)

Feel free to add your own custom notification message, then click Add to Project to finalize the invite. This person will automatically receive an invitation to get set up in TeamGantt and access the project.

Learn more about inviting people to your project in TeamGantt.

Step 7: Apply task colors to enhance visualization on your gantt chart

Color is a great way to make your gantt chart easy to understand at a quick glance.

Hover over a taskbar, and click on the colored square. Choose a new color, and you’re all done!

Tip : You can set a default color for each person on your team in TeamGantt. Simply select the People tab at the top of your project, then click none next to each user to assign a default task color. Now, each task you assign to that person will automatically be the color you selected.

If you want to build a gantt chart everyone can use and navigate, there are a few simple rules you should keep in mind. Follow these simple tips and best practices to make a good gantt chart that’s easy to update and manage.

Do get granular with tasks.

The more detail you can spell out when it comes to tasks, the better you’ll be able to track progress and steps leading up to a deliverable. Refer back to your work breakdown structure , and list the steps you used to create that.

Do organize tasks into groups or phases.

Creating groups of tasks will make your plan easier to scan and understand. It’ll also allow your team and stakeholders to see what tasks are part of a deliverable or a phase.

Here’s a quick look at how subgroups work in TeamGantt.

Do add important details and documents to tasks.

Sometimes your team and clients may forget what they committed to. Or maybe they don’t fully understand the intent of a task or group.

Use the notes section of your plan (most gantt chart software should provide this) to spell things out. While you’re at it, be sure to upload key files directly to the task so everything’s ready and waiting for work to begin.

In the project sample below, we added notes about the scope of the task and uploaded a copy of the creative brief for more detail.

Do label tasks by responsible party.

This tip comes in handy for any project, but it’s especially useful for client projects. Identifying which team or company is responsible for each task makes your gantt chart super-easy to scan.

When creating a task, you can assign labels you've set up on the People tab or simply put the company name (or an acronym) in front of the task. Here’s how we tagged tasks in the following gantt chart example:

• PT = Product Team
• GM = Gantt Museum

Of course, you’ll also want to take that a step further and assign each task to the person responsible. This will help you with resource allocation and accountability.

Do display start and end dates for each task

Seems like a silly tip, but it’s easy to hide this info in some apps! If you’re using TeamGantt, you’ll see the dates in the gantt view.

Regardless of what tool you’re using, you want to make it clear not only when a task ends, but when it starts. Again, this will help to keep your team and clients accountable.

Don’t skip dependencies.

If you’re not going to move forward on the project without an approval—or one task must be done before another—now’s your chance to note it.

Not every planning tool offers dependency functionality, and it can be a huge help. As your plan shifts, the flow of the work will stay intact.

Don't assign work without checking team availability.

If you’re lucky enough to use a product that shows you overall team availability, use it! Knowing how booked your team is and what projects they’re part of will play a huge role in delivering work on time and maintaining team morale.

Having an overall view of your team’s availability and conflicting work will help you adjust your plan to either meet the needs of existing project work or shift the milestones you’ve put in your plan.

Here's how to view team availability directly from your gantt chart in TeamGantt.

Don’t overlook holidays and time off.

Now is your chance to block time off in your plan. This is important now because as soon as your timeline shifts (you know it will, don’t fight it), you’ll open yourself up to making an error and dropping a deadline on a date that should be blocked. If you note them in your plan, that won’t happen.

Don’t forget to ask for feedback.

If you deliver a plan that has a mistake, misinterprets a task, or even misses a date, it can create confusion and delays. So grab a teammate and ask them to review your gantt chart before you post it for review.

Of course, you’ll also want to be ready to get some feedback on your plan. Formalizing a plan means you’re taking a set of ideas and expanding on them. That also means you might interpret something differently than a teammate. That’s okay!

Don’t set it and forget it.

A gantt chart is a living, breathing document that should keep up with project changes—not a fixed plan that’s set in stone. Invite your team to collaborate on work and track progress in real time so your gantt chart’s always up-to-date.

How to use gantt charts to manage projects

Now you know how to make a gantt chart to plan and schedule project tasks. But that’s not all they’re designed to do! 

Let’s explore some easy ways you can use a gantt chart to manage and track your projects in TeamGantt.

Collaborate with your team and stakeholders

Successful projects run on communication and collaboration. When project files and updates are scattered across different email threads and other platforms, it’s hard to get a good sense of what needs to get done and how close you are to the finish line.

With an online gantt chart , you can streamline communication through a single channel that centers around your project plan.

Here’s how to use a gantt chart to boost collaboration with your team and stakeholders.

Use comments to discuss tasks and share project files

Got a mockup that’s ready for design review? Or need more info to get started on your task? Add a comment to the task, and be sure to tag the person you’re updating so they’ll get automatically notified.

You can also upload documents directly to a task, group, or project. TeamGantt supports version control, so it's easy to find the latest version of any document.

And if you need to share important details up front, that’s what sticky notes are for. For instance, you might want to document how many hours have been scoped for a task or outline specs for a design project.

Watch this video to see team collaboration in action in TeamGantt.

Share your gantt chart with external stakeholders

Need to share project updates with contractors, clients, or other stakeholders? In TeamGantt, you have several options for sharing your gantt chart with external users :

• Invite someone as a guest to your project : Inviting someone as a guest enables them to see and comment on tasks in a single project without making edits to the gantt chart itself.
• Send a view-only link to your gantt chart : This option is great if you want to enable a client or stakeholder to monitor project progress without inviting them to become a user on your account.
• ‍ Export your gantt chart as a PDF : This option enables you to filter a gantt chart down to only the information you want to share so clients and stakeholders can get a quick snapshot of the project.

Integrate your gantt chart with other collaboration apps

If your team uses multiple apps to collaborate on projects, why not integrate them with your gantt chart so everything connects back to the plan? Here are a few popular integrations you can use to keep your people and projects in sync:

• Trello : See your cards in a project timeline, create dependencies between cards, and view workloads—all without ever leaving Trello.
• Slack : Create tasks from chats, check your daily task list, and get notified about new comments and assignments right from Slack.
• Dropbox : Share important documents more easily by uploading Dropbox files directly to your tasks and projects.
• Zapier : Automate work and streamline collaboration by connecting TeamGantt to your other favorite apps.
• ‍ TeamGantt API : Got a developer on hand? Build custom integrations with your TeamGantt data using our public API!

Manage resources and team workloads

It’s hard to finish any project on time and budget when your team is overloaded and overwhelmed. A gantt chart plots everyone’s work on a visual timeline so you can see how tasks stack up across your projects.

In TeamGantt, you can check and adjust workloads right from your gantt chart to avoid overbooking your team as you schedule new tasks.

Take a closer look at how to use gantt charts for project resource management.

Estimate project time and effort

Assigning hourly estimates to tasks in your gantt chart makes it easier to assess project scope , balance team workloads, and monitor project budget once work gets underway.

TeamGantt’s Advanced plan comes with hourly estimation and time tracking. You can use these features to track and compare estimated vs. actual hours directly from your gantt chart. With that kind of visibility, you can keep a close eye on potential overages and get ahead of issues before they throw your whole project off course.

Estimating hours at the task level also gives you a more granular view of availability when assigning and scheduling work for your team. That way you can feel more confident your team can get the work done without missing deadlines.

Learn more about hourly estimation in TeamGantt.

Track progress against deadlines and estimates

One of the best things about using a gantt chart is the ability to see where a project stands at any given moment. After all, clients, bosses and other project stakeholders expect you to stick to your promises (aka: budgets and deadlines).

That’s why it’s important to monitor tasks to ensure you’re on track to deliver work on time and budget. If things start to go sideways, you can adjust the gantt chart to get things back on track and reset expectations along the way.

Here’s how to track progress and spot issues early in TeamGantt.

Update and monitor progress

Checking things off a list is a pretty satisfying thing to do. What’s even more satisfying is updating the % Complete of a big task and watching the taskbar fill in until it’s 100% done.

Seeing the status of your teammates’ and coworkers’ tasks can be a healthy motivating force too. When you know the up-to-the-minute status of other tasks—especially those tasks that may rely on your tasks—it keeps everyone moving in the right direction.

How to request a progress update in TeamGantt

Need to know where someone stands on a particular task? TeamGantt makes it easy to do a quick status check and remind team members to update their progress.

Here's how it works:

• Click the chat bubble to the left of the task to open the comment window.
• Click Request a progress update at the top of the comment window.
• TeamGantt will send anyone who's assigned to that task an email asking them to update their progress.

Hourly estimate vs. actual progress

TeamGantt’s Advanced plan enables you to compare hourly estimates with actual progress so you can easily spot tasks that are taking longer than expected. Simply look for the thin striped line in the middle of each taskbar on your gantt chart, and pay attention to its color and length.

These indicators signal task trouble:

• The striped line is red : This task (or group) is over-budget. More hours have been tracked than were originally estimated for the task.
• ‍ The striped line is longer than the progress indicated for a task : The hours tracked are outpacing actual progress. That means this task (or group) is at risk for going over budget or missing a deadline.

Remember how I said no matter how much planning you do, it’s likely something will come up that requires you to move your timeline? It’s handy to know how much you’ve had to move things over the course of a project. Enter: baselines.

What is a baseline in a gantt chart?

A baseline is a “snapshot” of your project in time. When you create a baseline set, you’re grabbing a picture of your whole project so you have something to compare to when things inevitably shift for one reason or another.

Baselines are extremely important because they give you the “real” picture of shifts that have occurred. It’s easy to think things are looking pretty good, when in reality you’re 3 weeks behind and $10,000 over budget. Things can creep slowly, and without a set of baselines to compare to, it can be easy to get behind and not even fully realize it.

Learn how baselines work in TeamGantt.

Using multiple baseline sets in your gantt chart

A single baseline is great, but a single point doesn’t show trends. Stringing multiple baseline sets together will give you a much clearer picture of when and why your project slipped. Was it due to consistently dragging manufacturing estimates? Or was it that the client was consistently slow in approving designs and signing contracts? Baselines can tell you exactly what you need to know so you can improve your estimating practices.

Baselines aren’t just for showing you the negatives of your project. They’re equally useful for seeing where things have gone better than expected. Just like you have to shift things around when tasks are delayed, you may have to make adjustments when things run ahead of schedule.

As you get better at tracking your project’s slippage, you’ll get better at making realistic estimates on timelines. Once you’ve mastered that skill, you’ll have customers lining up because they know that when you plan a project, they have a timeline they can count on.

How does a gantt chart compare to other alternatives?

Project managers use a variety of tools—from gantt charts and kanban boards to spreadsheets and task lists—to keep up with project details, deadlines, and to-dos.

So what separates gantt charts from the rest of the pack when it comes to time-sensitive or complex projects? Spreadsheets, kanban boards, and task lists fall short when it comes to important project management tasks, like building a timeline, outlining dependencies, and managing workloads.

Without these 3 gantt chart features , you’ll have a tough time communicating the plan to your team, clients, and stakeholders. Here are just a few examples of questions a gantt chart can help you answer:

• Can we take on more work?
• How will we get from point A to point B?
• What needs to happen first?
• Can we meet a requested deadline?
• Who has the bandwidth to tackle these tasks?
• Are we on track to finish on time?
• How are we performing?

The good news is, you can use a gantt chart without foregoing other alternatives. Your team may prefer kanban boards for managing daily tasks or using a spreadsheet to create a RACI chart , and that’s okay.

With TeamGantt, you’ve got choices. View and manage projects as a gantt chart, task list, calendar, or kanban board, and upload important spreadsheets to the project documents. No matter how you look at things, everything ties back to your plan.

Let’s take a closer look at how a gantt chart can help you manage projects better.

Gantt chart pros and cons

What’s to love about gantt charts? And what should you be aware of before diving in? Here’s a quick snapshot of the pros and cons so you can decide if a gantt chart is right for your projects.

What are the pros of using a gantt chart?

A gantt chart is like a front-row seat to the project action. All the tiny details you never noticed from the nosebleed section suddenly come to life in full color right before your very eyes. It’s nearly impossible to miss a game-changing move!

Let’s explore some of the biggest gantt chart pros in project management .

Visualize your entire project

A project plan is one thing. How it plays out is another. A gantt chart gives you a start-to-finish view of your entire project timeline so you can see how tasks are progressing in real time. That means you can provide up-to-the-minute status reports to managers and stakeholders in a flash.

See how tasks are connected

Let’s face it: Things change. Lucky for you, modern gantt charts make it easy to shift tasks around without breaking your stride. With dependencies —a star feature of any gantt chart—you can keep tasks connected even when your timeline gives you the ol’ switcheroo.

Keep everyone on the same page and on time

Clear communication is a must-have in any project. Without it, you risk project delays and cost overruns. Web-based gantt charts, like TeamGantt, ensure no one’s left in the dark. That’s because all your project info and discussion threads live in one central hub that everyone can access, making team collaboration a breeze.

Know who’s busy and who isn’t

If you want to make smart business decisions, you’ve got to have a good grasp on your resources. With gantt charts, resource management is no longer a guessing game. You can see who’s got bandwidth to take on new tasks at a glance.

See a full list of gantt chart benefits.

Do gantt charts have limitations?

Some folks think gantt charts are too complicated to build, read, and update. While traditional desktop apps have their limitations, most of the cons people associate with gantt charts don’t apply to the online gantt chart software you’ll find today.

That’s because modern gantt charts ushered in a whole new era of project management. Now gantt charts offer clean and simple design with drag and drop scheduling so you can build and adjust project plans in an instant. And because everything happens online, it’s easy to share plans, collaborate on work, update tasks, and track progress in real time.

Let's look at how modern gantt charts compare to traditional desktop apps.

Modern gantt charts vs. desktop apps

Gantt charts come in many forms—from good old-fashioned paper to desktop apps and even web-based software.

Bringing gantt charts online transforms them from a static document that quickly becomes obsolete to a living, collaborative representation of a project’s current state. Team members can update their progress in real time, and stakeholders can check in on project status without having to go through you. Plus, it's easy to stay in sync and push projects across the finish line more quickly.

See how TeamGantt’s modern gantt chart tool compares to 2 popular desktop apps:

• TeamGantt vs. Microsoft Excel
• TeamGantt vs. Microsoft Project

Advanced features to look for in a modern gantt chart

A good modern gantt chart should be a part of a complete project management solution. Look for these advanced gantt chart software features to ensure your team and projects stay on track:

• Team collaboration
• Multiple project views, including kanban boards, task lists, and calendar views
• Time tracking and hourly estimation
• Workload management
• Mobile access
• Integrations

TeamGantt has all of this! Try it for free.

Continue learning about gantt charts

Now that you know how to make a gantt chart, you’re ready to move on to the next step! Keep reading to learn how to use your gantt chart to manage your team's time and availability more easily.

Plan your next project in minutes

When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. So why waste time building out a bunch of complicated spreadsheets just to keep tabs on a project?

At TeamGantt, you don’t have to. Our free online gantt chart software enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle. Whip up a project plan in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.

Try TeamGantt for Free

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Organization > Start planning visually with Gantt charts

Start planning visually with Gantt charts

If you need help completing your to-do list, a Gantt chart is a helpful tool. Luckily, creating a Gantt chart on your own is easy. Keep reading to learn how a Gantt chart can keep you organized at home or in the office.

You’ve likely seen a Gantt chart before without realizing it. Gantt charts are extremely popular in office environments to aid work-related projects. Gantt charts can help plan project timelines for work projects or even personal projects, like renovating your home. Using a Gantt chart has many benefits.

What is a Gantt chart?

The Gantt chart gets its name from Henry Gantt, the American mechanical engineer who designed it. 1 Gantt charts are common project management tools for easily tracking tasks, progress, and timelines in seconds. They are also helpful for managers to track the resources and teammates required to complete a project while also helping them keep track of project start and end dates. Gantt charts are great for tracking projects of any length, whether the project will span two days or ten months.

Turn data into insights with Excel

Make better decisions backed by data and insights

A Gantt chart is a type of chart that uses bars to visualize project timelines. They can track a project’s duration in days, weeks, or even months. On a Gantt chart, each task for the project is listed on the chart and represented by a horizontal bar. The chart’s X-axis is the timeline, and the Y-axis contains each task to be completed.

Some Gantt charts use unchanging solid-colored bars to provide a simple visual for project timelines, while others offer the option to update progress, which changes the color of the bar (or sections of it) to reflect that progress. For example, if you indicate that a specific task is 25% complete, a quarter of the bar might be green to represent the progress made, while the remaining 3/4ths of the bar will be red to represent the remaining work that needs to be done. This arrangement gives project managers a quick snapshot of how much work is remaining for each task.

How to make a Gantt chart

Making your own Gantt chart is easy. You can build your own using simple formulas in Excel. If you don’t have the time or advanced Excel knowledge, you can get started with a free template .

To get started on your Gantt chart, you’ll need the following:

• A list of tasks that need to be completed
• Start and end dates for each task
• Task owners and team members for each assignment

Making a Gantt chart in Excel with templates

Creating a Gantt chart is a lot easier with a template, and there are plenty of free Gantt chart templates out there. When you use a template like this one , you can change each cell in the “Activity” column to label each task. In the next two columns, input the project’s start date and end date. In columns E and F, you input the actual start dates and actual end dates. The actual start dates and actual end dates indicate when the project officially launched. For example, if you planned to repair your roof on the 5th but couldn’t start until the 10th due to a storm, the 5th would be your plan start date and the 10th would be your actual start date. You’ll see the bars on the x-axis change depending on your start and end dates. Make sure to also manually enter the percent of the project that is completed to stay on top of the assignment. Again, upload your completed Gantt chart to a shared workspace where all of your collaborators can access it and help keep it updated.

Tips for making your Gantt chart

• Color-code assignment bars based on team, assignee, or priority level. For example, you may want to make the bars for more urgent assignments red. Visual cues like these make your Gantt chart easier to understand at a glance.
• The more specific your assignments are, the better. Without adequate detail, it can be difficult to update or gauge the status of an assignment.
• Adding milestones to your Gantt chart is a great way to motivate your team and help them see how far they’ve come.

Gantt charts are a tried-and-true way to keep projects organized and keep track of a project’s start and end dates. Now that you know how to create a Gantt chart, you can manage your projects with ease.

Gantt Charting: Definition, Benefits, and How They’re Used.

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Introducing our Business Projects Team Assignment Chart set of slides. The topics discussed in these slides are Project, Management, Account. This is an immediately available PowerPoint presentation that can be conveniently customized. Download it and convince your audience.

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• Diagrams , Business , Strategy , Icons , Business Slides , Compare , Flat Designs , Tables and Matrix
• Management ,

Business projects team assignment chart with all 6 slides:

Use our Business Projects Team Assignment Chart to effectively help you save your valuable time. They are readymade to fit into any presentation structure.

Ratings and Reviews

by Edwardo Wheeler

March 23, 2022

by Dorsey Hudson