ChatGPT is an advanced AI assistant that can help generate ideas and recommendations to support project management work. While ChatGPT itself cannot directly produce PM deliverables, it can collaborate with you as a thinking partner.
Here is a step-by-step example of using ChatGPT to create a project schedule:
1. In ChatGPT, start a conversation about developing a schedule for your project. Share high-level details like the expected timeline, key phases, resources involved, or major milestones. Ask ChatGPT for recommended best practices to consider when structuring your schedule. Discuss options together based on your project's needs and constraints.
2. Once you have decided on the approach, ask ChatGPT for the types of tasks that would be required in the first major phase of work. For example, in an initial planning phase, key tasks may include identifying stakeholders, defining scope, budgeting, risk analysis, and resource planning. Have ChatGPT prompt you with suggestions to spur your thinking on all critical tasks to include.
3. For each task, ask ChatGPT to estimate a reasonable duration considering the level of effort and resources required. Discuss how the tasks depend on or relate to each other to establish the right order and critical path in your schedule. Revise any estimates that seem off.
4. Have ChatGPT suggest milestones that would indicate progress and completion of each phase. Discuss how to spread those milestones appropriately through your expected timeline. Consider both high-level and interim milestones to keep work on track.
5. Ask ChatGPT to provide a summary view of the overall schedule with tasks, durations, milestones, and task relationships mapped out based on your earlier discussion. Review the summary schedule in detail. Make any final changes by editing or adding new tasks and discuss your revisions with ChatGPT.
6. Once the schedule looks complete, download the information from your conversation with ChatGPT. Use it to build the final schedule in Microsoft Project, Excel or another tool, formatting correctly with a Gantt chart view showing the critical path, task durations, milestones and dependencies. You now have a project schedule co-created with ChatGPT!
Follow these steps to work with ChatGPT as a thinking partner in developing project risk registers, budgets, resource plans, communications plans or any PM deliverable. Tap into its knowledge, discuss and review recommendations, then apply your judgment to transfer the information into a format you can share and execute. ChatGPT supports your work - you drive the actual production and tool-based implementation of PM outputs.
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