Intro to Initiatives
Video Placeholder Duration: 5-7 minutes Topics covered: What are initiatives, creating initiatives, linking projects and epics, tracking progress
What are Initiatives?
Initiatives are the highest level of work organization in Plane. They help you manage and track progress across multiple related projects under a unified strategic objective.
Think of Initiatives as:
- Strategic goals spanning multiple projects
- Company-wide objectives
- Cross-functional programs
The Planning Hierarchy
| Level | Scope | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Initiative | Strategic objective | Quarters to years |
| Project | Product or area | Ongoing |
| Epic | Major feature | 1-3 months |
| Work Item | Individual task | Days to weeks |
Enabling Initiatives
Initiatives are a Pro-tier feature:
- Go to Workspace Settings
- Select the Initiatives tab
- Toggle Enable Initiatives
Once enabled, Initiatives appears in your workspace sidebar.
Creating an Initiative
Navigate to Initiatives
- Click Initiatives in the workspace sidebar
- Click Add Initiative or New Initiative
Initiative Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Strategic name (e.g., "Q2 Growth Initiative") |
| Description | Goals, context, and success criteria |
| State | Current status |
| Start Date | When the initiative begins |
| End Date | Target completion |
| Lead | Person responsible |
| Labels | Tags for categorization |
Initiative States
Initiatives progress through these states:
| State | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being planned, not yet started |
| Planned | Scheduled for future work |
| Active | Currently in progress |
| Completed | All objectives achieved |
| Closed | Ended (completed or cancelled) |
Linking Work to Initiatives
Connect Projects
Link entire projects to an Initiative:
- Open the Initiative
- Go to Scope section
- Click Add Project
- Select projects to include
Connect Epics
Link Epics from different projects:
- Open the Initiative
- Go to Scope section
- Click Add Epic
- Select Epics across projects
The Power of Cross-Project Tracking
Initiatives let you:
- Track Epics from Project A and Project B together
- See combined progress across projects
- Manage work without project-switching
Initiative Views
List Layout
Structured overview of all Initiatives:
- Status, progress, dates
- Filter and sort
Board Layout
Kanban-style organization:
- Columns by state
- Drag to change status
Timeline Layout
Gantt view for scheduling:
- See Initiative durations
- Identify overlaps
- Plan strategically
Tracking Progress
Overview Dashboard
Each Initiative shows:
Metrics
- Projects linked: How many projects contribute
- Epics linked: How many Epics are part of this
- Work items: Total tasks across all linked work
- Completion %: Progress toward completion
Updates Stream
See consolidated updates:
- Status changes across all linked work
- Comments and activity
- Risk indicators
Initiative Properties
Standard Properties
- State, Lead, Dates, Labels
Custom Properties
Add initiative-specific tracking:
- Budget
- Business sponsor
- Target metrics
- Risk level
Managing Initiatives
Filtering
Find Initiatives by:
- Lead
- Date range
- State
- Labels
Grouping
Organize Initiatives by:
- Lead
- Creator
- State
- Labels
Sorting
Order by:
- Manual arrangement
- Creation date
- Modification date
Initiative Best Practices
Strategic Alignment
Each Initiative should align with:
- Company objectives
- Quarterly goals
- Business outcomes
Clear Ownership
Assign a Lead who:
- Tracks overall progress
- Coordinates across projects
- Reports to stakeholders
Regular Reviews
Schedule check-ins to:
- Review progress
- Identify blockers
- Adjust scope if needed
Measurable Success
Define what "done" looks like:
- Specific outcomes
- Metrics to track
- Timeline milestones
Initiative Example
Initiative: Improve Customer Retention
Goal: Reduce churn by 20% in Q2
Linked Projects:
├── Product: New onboarding flow
├── Support: Self-service knowledge base
└── Engineering: Performance improvements
Linked Epics:
├── [Product] Welcome flow redesign
├── [Product] Feature discovery tour
├── [Support] FAQ automation
└── [Engineering] Dashboard speed optimization
Metrics:
- Current churn: 5%
- Target churn: 4%
- NPS improvement: +10 pointsKey Takeaways
- Initiatives are strategic containers spanning multiple projects
- Enable in Workspace Settings → Initiatives (Pro tier)
- Link Projects and Epics from across your workspace
- Track aggregated progress toward strategic goals
- States: Draft → Planned → Active → Completed → Closed
- Assign Leads for accountability
- Use for quarterly objectives and company-wide programs
Next Steps
Large projects need careful scheduling. Learn about Timeline Dependencies.
Next Lesson: Intro to Timeline Dependencies