The Five Phases of Project Management: Starting with Initiation
Every project, no matter its size or scope, follows a familiar rhythm. While the details differ, the structure is consistent. Projects move through five key phases: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure.
Each phase is crucial. They form the structure that keeps work aligned, on track, and moving toward successful delivery. If you overlook a phase, whether due to oversight, haste, or neglect, it will eventually lead to problems. Your team's focus will waver, risks will seep in, and the likelihood of delivering late, over budget, or off target will increase.
Over the next few posts, we’ll explore each of these five phases in turn, starting with the one that sets the tone for everything that follows: Initiation.
Why Initiation Matters
How many times have you seen a project start without a documented plan or without the key stakeholders sitting down and agreeing on the final product? How often have you heard, “We’re going to build the plane while we fly it”?
If you answered “too often” to either of these questions, you’re not alone.
The initiation phase is often hurried, especially in fast-paced environments. Teams are eager to dive into planning or execution, as that’s where many, including CEOs and other senior leaders, believe the 'real work' begins. However, a robust initiation phase is what distinguishes successful projects from those that struggle.
Initiation is where you:
Clarify purpose. Why does this project exist? What problem is it solving, and for whom?
Define scope at a high level. What’s in, what’s out, and what’s still to be decided?
Identify stakeholders. Who has influence, who has needs, and who will feel the impact of this project?
Secure alignment. Does everyone agree on the problem, the goals, and the definition of success?
Skipping or skimming this phase leaves the team guessing in later stages—and guessing leads to rework, frustration, and wasted effort.
Building a Strong Start
An effective initiation phase doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be intentional. A few best practices include:
Holding a kickoff that’s more than introductions. Use the time to align on purpose, success criteria, and risks.
Drafting a clear project charter. Even a one-page version that outlines goals, scope, stakeholders, and constraints provides a valuable anchor for the project, serving as a roadmap that keeps everyone focused on the project's objectives.
Designing a documentation infrastructure. Hopefully, your organization has already considered this. If not, take the time to work on it yourself. How will team members access important documentation? How will you verify that the most up-to-date documents are available for review? Pretend you’re a new team member onboarding: Will it be easy for them to find the necessary documentation? If not, that’s an issue.
Identify a reporting structure. We’re not talking about who reports to whom, but how often the team will gather to discuss the project’s status, including progress, risks, and issues. Establishing a regular cadence for this meeting will help keep the team aligned as the project progresses through development.
Ask challenging questions early on. Not all organizations embrace this approach, as it can be viewed as negative. And some senior leaders may not appreciate being asked tough questions. However, as the PM, it’s essential to trust yourself with this task, because resolving scope uncertainty or stakeholder misalignment is much easier before the team invests weeks of effort. This proactive approach can prevent potential issues from escalating.
Projects rarely fail solely due to poor execution. Instead, they fail because they weren’t set up correctly from the start. The initiation phase is where you prevent that from happening. It's the phase that sets the tone for the entire project, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and that the project is set up for success.
