![I, Gantt
Gantt charting for personal and professional growth
“[Gantt] the change you want to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gantt-dhi (Paraphrase)
Keith Karabin, MSCC, LPC – January 3, 2017](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/igantt-180417125110/85/I-gantt-1-320.jpg)
I, gantt
- 1. I, Gantt Gantt charting for personal and professional growth “[Gantt] the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gantt-dhi (Paraphrase) Keith Karabin, MSCC, LPC – January 3, 2017
- 2. What is a Gantt? Karol Adamiecki, a Polish engineer who ran a steelworks in southern Poland created the first Gantt chart in 1890 to help with production and management. So, why is it not called an Adamiecki Chart? Fifteen years later, an American engineer and management consultant Henry Gantt, created his own version of the chart and brought it to the Western business world. Thus, popular culture of the time tied it to Henry Gantt and the name stuck. “The Gantt chart is the most widely used chart in project management…useful in planning a project and defining the sequence of tasks that require completion” (Silver, 2016). But really, all it is, is a fancy To-do list. A Gantt chart simply outlines the milestone dates of measurable steps to achieve a goal. Ok, maybe it’s more of a “To-doing” list since it also can outline multiple goals happening at the same time and demonstrate accountability to the timeframe at any given moment.
- 3. Gantts are Powerful Though using MS Excel, think of your Gantt like a positive imagery visualization board. It IS a “cognitive tool accessing imagination to realize all aspects of an object, action or outcome,” as Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner describes similar visualization methods. This “visualization is a powerful tool for goal achievement. The process primes the brain to look for cues in the environment that connect to the vision…” (Baumgartner, 2011). Gantt Charts help us visualize our professional goals and those in the work environment. Gantt Charts help us prioritize and evaluate our best use of time and energy. Gantt Charts help us break down those goals into specific, measurable, sequential tasks. Gantt Charts offer a means to organize and represent the “hidden efforts” of our daily jobs. Gantt Charts provide a systematic way to be supported in achieving a shared vision.
- 4. Gant Smarter, Not Harder In most instances a Gantt is a horizontal bar chart showing scheduled and completed work using bars of different lengths to represent the project timeline, and sequence. The chart identifies tasks that may be executed in parallel and those that cannot be started or finished until other tasks are complete. (Silver, 2016). But what works in production management sometimes doesn’t fit for personal growth and project development. Thus, just like Henry Gantt himself, we’ve made some changes to fit our focus. The Gantt we are about to see depicts the same scheduled goal projection and sequentially itemized tasks using parallel display to address multiple projects in a vertical list rather than horizontal bar chart.
- 5. But before getting to the chart, let’s make sure our goals are… SMART. Yes, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based (Locke & Latham, 1990) but also… SMARTER. Which means keeping in mind that Gantts are powerful! They define the growth you’d like to see in yourself and your environment. They will prime your “brain to look for cues in the environment that connect to the vision” so that your year can become an exercise in achievement that is supported by your supervisor.
- 6. How to Use This Tool First, remember this is one example of a custom Gantt. The internet is chock full of ‘em, Excel has a template, and the original Gantts were pen-and-paper, so that’s always an option. …If your life never changes. In short; make it yours. 1. Make a hand list of all the growth you’d like to see in upcoming year. 2. Prioritize or categorize the projects (Fancy titles are encouraged but optional). 3. Fit each one into an itemized list and break it down. 4. Estimate start and projection dates for each item and list them in descending order. 5. Think and rearrange. 6. Make sure that the formula which calculates percentages has the correct divisor number. This is the total item number under each project. 7. Add a date or notation when the item is complete. * The print date updates automatically.
- 7. References Baumgartner, J. (2011) Visualize It. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-psychology- dress/201111/visualize-it Gantt.com (2016) Retrieved from: http://www.gantt.com/ Locke, E. A. & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Silver, C. (2016) Gantt Chart Definition. Investopedia.com. Retrieved from: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gantt- chart.asp#ixzz4UbReXx6j