Creating plans doesn't need to be hard

Impress your stakeholders with a high-quality plan-on-page

Creating a plan-on-a-page is never easy. Some people will tell you to fudge a stacked bar chart. Or sell you a plug-in that automates the timeline at the expense of flexibility. In fact, all you really need is some standard PowerPoint tools. We can teach you a simple approach to building a plan slide that is clear and meaningful. So your stakeholders can quickly understand the current status and see what the future looks like. And because your plan will look professional, people are more likely to trust it – and you.

What we cover

  • What makes a great plan

    To give your stakeholders confidence in your delivery, they need to be able to understand what your approach is. And if that is actually working once it is underway. We talk about what to put into a plan so that it helps your audience understand and trust it.

  • Drawing the timeline and plan

    A clear timeline is vital. We will look at using tables to build a timeline and adding drawing guides to the slide to help you to accurately place the task shapes on it. And how to tidy the plan quickly to increase the perception of quality.

  • Adding context

    While you may understand your plan back-to-front, other people will need more explanations. Especially when the plan meets the reality of delivery and actual dates start to stray from planned ones. We explore how to simply communicated what is happening and why.

  • Using the plan-on-a-page kit

    To accompany the course, we also sell a comprehensive kit: over 100 pre-built timelines and a sticker-book of reusable shapes. This makes building your plan much quicker and more consistent. We demonstrate how to use and adapt the kit. See below for more details.

Who this course is for

If you want to produce a professional plan slide that works well and impresses stakeholders, this course is for you

  • Programme and Project Managers: paint a high level picture of progress to your stakeholders, provide context for risks and issues, and make sure your team are all on the same page

  • Consultants and Analysts: demonstrate a well thought-out approach to the solution, and update your clients on the value that you are creating

  • Change and Communication Managers: articulate upcoming transformations and important dates to a wide audience

  • Technology Delivery Leads: keep the business informed and manage expectations without flooding them with technical details

  • Sales Leads: prove to prospective clients that you know what you are talking about and understand what it will take to deliver

  • And anyone who wants to give people confidence in the approach you are taking

How the course is structured

    1. 1.01 Why we use plans and what people need from them

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. 1.02 Examples

    1. 2.01 Introduction to the BrightSlide add-in

    2. 2.02 Creating a timeline grid

    3. 2.03 Aligning the plan to the timeline

    4. 2.04 Drawing the tasks

    5. 2.05 Tidying up

    6. 2.06 Adding context to the plan

    1. 3.01 Downloading the Plan-on-a-Page kit

    2. Using the kit

    1. 4.01 Next steps

    2. 4.02 Feedback
  • £49.00
  • 12 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content
  • Crisp 4k video for crystal-clear demonstrations
  • Practice exercise
  • Using the free BrightSlide add-in for ease and speed

Bonus material

  • Examples

    Theoretical plans are one thing, but the reality can become quite complicated. To give you some reference points, the course includes a few examples of real plans that we have worked on. Names and dates changed to protect the innocent, of course.

  • Keyboard shortcuts

    The time-saving value of keyboard shortcuts cannot be underestimated, so we will take opportunities to point out any that are relevant here. They'll save you time in other PowerPoint work too, so the course comes with a reference sheet to some of the most useful ones.

  • Using the BrightSlide add-in

    We always recommend everyone to install the free BrightSlide add-in, at every chance we get. And in this course we highlight the various ways you can use it to supercharge your plan building. (Note: we have no affiliation to BrightCarbon, we just love the add-in. And it's rude not to share.)

Available separately: Plan-on-a-page kit

If you want to create beautiful plans even faster, why not buy the accompanying kit. The training course covers how to use it in full detail.

Looking for personalised support?

If you would benefit from direct, tailored support on your plan – or any other decks – set up some one-to-one coaching

Don't just take our word for it

What students say about other SHARPN training

"Transformed the way I build decks"

Oli O'Dwyer | Head of Governance & Change - British Airways Operations Planning

From the moment we began, it was clear that the course was well-structured and designed to engage participants on a deep, personal level. Steve was exceptional, combining theoretical insights with hands-on exercises that made the learning both practical and immersive. One of the standout aspects was how the training emphasized the psychological power of stories – how to connect with an audience, craft compelling narratives, and deliver them in a way that resonates long after the story is told. The tools and techniques I learned have already transformed the way I build decks. I left the training not just with a set of new skills, but with renewed confidence in my ability to engage and inspire others. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

"Highly recommended"

Shamir | Consultant

I attended Steve’s course early into my consulting career. Steve was an engaging and dynamic trainer, offering tailored training that was immediately useful and practical in my workload as a Consultant. He shared tips and tricks that helped me and my colleagues be more efficient in our slide creation and management. His course has certainly improved my ways of working and I highly recommend to everyone dealing with PowerPoint on a regular basis!

"Incredibly comprehensive"

Daniel | Consultant

Steve’s training transformed the way I create slides. His expertise was evident, and his teaching was engaging. Learning how to declutter the noise and crafting clear, compelling narratives has helped make me confident in designing visually appealing slides that enhance my content – rather than distracting from it. The course also significantly improved my efficiency: I can now create professional-quality decks in a fraction of the time. Additionally, the resources provided have become invaluable tools in my work. I highly recommend Steve’s training to anyone looking to elevate their PowerPoint skills and deliver more effective, higher-impact presentations.

Meet the expert

Founder Steve Rowland

Before specialising in high-stakes documents, Steve was a management consultant for over 20 years. This is where he developed his expertise at articulating complex topics in a compelling way. He has helped a range of companies including global consumer goods companies, manufacturers, telcos, broadcasters, retail companies and public sector organisations. He has created strategies, implemented systems, and delivered change. And he has worked with many different functions including technology, marketing, finance, e-commerce, supply chain and HR. Steve was also a teacher for five years, which is why he is skilled at providing an excellent learning and coaching experience.

FAQ

  • Why is the plan-on-a-page kit sold separately?

    We want to provide a flexible learning experience. Selling the course and the kit separately allows people to either just learn the techniques, or just get a time-saving kit if they are already confident. Or both. If you choose to buy just one, you can always come back and purchase the other part later.

  • Do I need to be an expert PowerPoint user to benefit from the course?

    Not at all. We do assume a basic level of familiarity with PowerPoint: you should be comfortable with drawing and formatting shapes and tables and using alignment tools. Where we are covering more advanced or lesser-known functionality, we demonstrate that in detail. And some of the techniques we will teach you will be useful in your general PowerPoint work.

  • What is the BrightSlide add-in you refer to?

    BrightSlide is a free PowerPoint add-in created (very generously) by BrightCarbon. It provides you with a huge range of features that frankly we couldn't live without it. We use it multiple times a day and recommend it to everyone. Find out more at https://www.brightcarbon.com/brightslide/

  • Is it important to install the BrightSlide add-in?

    While it is really useful, we don't rely on it in the course. We'll show you how to do what you need to without it, then how the add-in could make that easier. It's very easy to install, but if your company's policies make it difficult, reach out to BrightCarbon wh can work with your IT department to help with deploying it.

  • Why is your approach better than tools like ThinkCell?

    We have tried ThinkCell and other tools and fully understand the attraction for some people: quickly creating a timeline and adding tasks accurately. But for us, they lack flexibility and it can be difficult to make it look and feel like it is a seamless part of the deck. It can be also hard to collaborate with your colleagues and clients unless they have the same software. And of course, the subscription pricing soon adds up. We think it's better long-term value to learn the skills to build your own plans so you stay in control of them.

  • Do the course and the kit work for both Windows and Mac users?

    Yes. All the demonstrations are recorded on Windows but uses functionality that is available in PowerPoint for both operating systems. Where we use keystrokes shortcuts, we include both Windows and Mac versions. And the optional BrightSlide add works on both.

  • Do I need to use planning software like MS Project?

    No. Microsoft Project is a great tool for managing a complex plan and the resources, dependencies and performance metrics. But it's terrible for creating a helicopter view of the overall plan, so we always advise building a PowerPoint plan-on-a-page as a high-level view that you can use in all your stakeholder communications.

  • Is the course available on the Thinkific mobile app?

    Not at the moment, but we plan to release it on the mobile app in the future.

  • I want to buy the course for multiple students. Do you give a bulk discount?

    Absolutely, and we can invoice outside of the system if that's easier than online payment. Just contact us at [email protected] for more information.

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For a live learning experience

Steve is also highly experienced in delivering high-quality live training. We can run anything from 1-hour taster sessions to all-day deep dives on high-impact slide documents, storytelling for strong narratives and practical data visualisation in Microsoft Office. Visit our website for more information.
Check out our live training