Superpowers for Project Managers 
Creating a Project Manifesto
Create a team manifesto 
Why do you need a manifesto? 
Many people find it useful to compose a manifesto, believing that such a 
document will help guide them and keep them focused on their goals. 
Source: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=manifesto&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 
This same idea can help a project team to define goals and maintain focus 
on the things that really matter.
The Expert Enough 
Manifesto 
My favorite example 
Source: expertenough.com/themanifesto
1. Think 
Review the scope and think about what is important 
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the ambitious goal of 
sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade.
2. Brainstorm 
Create statements to support the goal 
Provide everyone with paper 
and a pen. 
Ask team members to think 
about and create statements 
that express their goals or ideas 
for the project. 
Write down as many ideas as 
come to mind. No specific 
format is necessary. 
Source: http://history.nasa.gov/Apollomon/apollo5.pdf
3. Arrange the List 
Aim for Simplicity and Clarity 
Idea 2 
Idea 3 
Idea 1 
Idea 4 
Accelerate development of the 
ROVER nuclear rocket 
Commit to landing on the moon and 
returning safely to earth 
Make the most our our present 
leadership by accelerating the use of 
space satellites for world-wide 
communication 
Give us at the earliest possible time a 
satellite system for world-wide weather 
observation.
4. Post 
Make the manifesto visible so all stakeholders 
can refer to it 
I believe that the nation should 
commit itself to achieve the goal, 
before the decade is out, of 
landing a man on the moon and 
returning him safely to earth
5. Don’t Waste 
Avoid efforts that don’t contribute to the manifesto 
“We can not afford undue work stoppages, inflated cost of 
materials or talent, wasteful interagency rivalries or a higher 
turnover of key personnel” 
– John F. Kennedy
Information: 
For more on John F. Kennedy’s Urgent National 
Needs speech to Congress and the Apollo mission 
Go to: history.nasa.gov/Apollomon

Create a Project Manifesto

  • 1.
    Superpowers for ProjectManagers Creating a Project Manifesto
  • 2.
    Create a teammanifesto Why do you need a manifesto? Many people find it useful to compose a manifesto, believing that such a document will help guide them and keep them focused on their goals. Source: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=manifesto&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 This same idea can help a project team to define goals and maintain focus on the things that really matter.
  • 3.
    The Expert Enough Manifesto My favorite example Source: expertenough.com/themanifesto
  • 4.
    1. Think Reviewthe scope and think about what is important On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade.
  • 5.
    2. Brainstorm Createstatements to support the goal Provide everyone with paper and a pen. Ask team members to think about and create statements that express their goals or ideas for the project. Write down as many ideas as come to mind. No specific format is necessary. Source: http://history.nasa.gov/Apollomon/apollo5.pdf
  • 6.
    3. Arrange theList Aim for Simplicity and Clarity Idea 2 Idea 3 Idea 1 Idea 4 Accelerate development of the ROVER nuclear rocket Commit to landing on the moon and returning safely to earth Make the most our our present leadership by accelerating the use of space satellites for world-wide communication Give us at the earliest possible time a satellite system for world-wide weather observation.
  • 7.
    4. Post Makethe manifesto visible so all stakeholders can refer to it I believe that the nation should commit itself to achieve the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth
  • 8.
    5. Don’t Waste Avoid efforts that don’t contribute to the manifesto “We can not afford undue work stoppages, inflated cost of materials or talent, wasteful interagency rivalries or a higher turnover of key personnel” – John F. Kennedy
  • 9.
    Information: For moreon John F. Kennedy’s Urgent National Needs speech to Congress and the Apollo mission Go to: history.nasa.gov/Apollomon