Stakeholders

On new development projects, the production stage can be the point of no return. Before it’s too late, a rigorous gating process can help to ensure that development activities, teamwide input and critical stakeholder priorities are all aligned with the overall project vision.

Much of the unwanted drama we face as project managers comes from people not understanding their roles and responsibilities. When people don’t know what is expected of them, they rarely perform well. It’s our job to make sure that doesn’t happen. But first, we must understand our role — and why we really want it.

For any and all projects you lead, a constant mantra should be “keep the stakeholders involved.” It will help you to get ahead of potential risks and changes to scope as your project moves towards completion, and it will be critical to its ultimate success. When in doubt, overcommunicate.

A rocket won’t overcome gravity's pull without the right trajectory and energy. Likewise, a project needs systems in place at launch to have a chance of soaring. In this excerpt, we set the stage for a successful liftoff, which requires a shared understanding of team roles and objectives. An agile chartering framework can help.

A recent global study on the state of business analysis shows organizations are missing key internal competencies that could enhance productivity and profitability. As a result, organizational objectives are often disconnected from those responsible for execution.

Whether internal or external, the customer is going to be the single most important stakeholder on your project, so it is imperative that you establish a set of guidelines for working with them based on variables that include their seniority, technical understanding, and level of engagement.

Working with stakeholders can be one of the biggest challenges for a project manager, but most of the problems are rooted in a failure to communicate. Here are some rules for engagement that can establish the foundation for a more productive relationship.

In many organizations, process comes before people, and function over feasibility. No wonder people resist. And all the change management in the world won’t help if the stakeholder community lacks the skills to execute a new process. Here is guidance on putting people at the forefront of your process design efforts.

Communicating problems to stakeholders is a tricky task for project managers. Calling attention to every issue can annoy them and even destroy their confidence in you and the team. Letting a critical issue slide can be worse. The key is to prioritize and take ownership of the resolutions.

When working with new project clients, you first have to show an understanding of their requirements and then begin to establish a relationship built on trust. You also need to be yourself, or you won’t be at your best. It is no easy task, but here is some helpful guidance.