Introduction: A Gantt chart is a management tool that provides a visual representation of time, tasks, and task assignments by means of a bar graph. Its main purpose is to provide clear indications of responsibility and dependency for the many tasks of a given project, allowing team members to judge workflow easily. The Gantt chart has been around since the nineteenth century (Wikipedia has a brief history here), but has gained a new popularity with the advent of programs that allow them to be made easily.

How to Create a Gantt Chart:

1. Find a program that will enable you to create and modify the chart easily. I recommend Microsoft Visio, which is available in most of the Instructional Computing Labs, You can also use Dia, an open-source drawing program, or Gantt Project, a freeware program specifically designed to create Gantt charts. Google has a very cool gadget (created by Viewpath) that works with a basic speadsheet in Google Docs--there's a video on how to use it here.

2. Get to know the program and its capabilities.

3. Identify and list the following elements that you will want to enter on the chart: your team members, the tasks necessary to complete the project, the time each task will take, and the time available for the project as a whole, and most importantly, which task requires another task (or tasks) to be complete before it can begin.

4. Using the program you chose, create the time scale for your chart. The horizontal axis generally represents time--for instance, you can set the scale so that the six weeks available for the project are evenly divided across the horizontal space available.

5. Start adding tasks. Give each team members a color, and make a bar that stretches from the beginning date to the end date of the time allotted for a particular task. Fill the bar with a team member's color to assign the task to the team member. The tasks should line up vertically to show simultaneity, and go in horizontal steps to show sequence. You can also assign tasks to subgroups--give them a color code, too.

6. Edit and adjust the chart to distribute tasks fairly and realistically. Add milestones and assessment meetings to the chart. Label it thoroughly and save it in a good place for further editing and revision. Print out copies for each team member.

For example: I made a basic Gantt chart using the Google Docs gadget and published it here. Click on the "Gadget 1" link at the bottom to see the chart.

Here's another simple example from Techtarget.com.

Of course, there's a Ganttchart.com with good examples.

Gantt Chart Issues: This chart may seem like a lot of work (and it does take some figuring out the first time), but it can help you anticipate and resolve a lot of work coordination issues in advance, saving time and trouble in the long run. In addition, it can help provide psychological support and accountability to the team. However, you should always be aware that the chart is a scheduling tool, not a definitive guide to the size and complexity of any given task. Communicate frequently to make sure that no one has been unfairly burdened or left with nothing to do. Enjoy your chart!