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COMMUNICATION
Communicating clearly and effectively is at the root of almost every human interaction. It certainly is the bedrock of project management, as it is with any business endeavor.
Before team leaders embark on a project, itâs crucial to identify the stakeholders with whom the team will be communicating. Stakeholders exist at many levels within an organization, and the key is to seek out and forge alliances with the ones who have the power to make decisions regarding your project. To do that, you should first find them, understand their expectations, and then keep them updated with information that addresses their needs. However, donât overdo it. Avoid treating every issue as if it is an emergency.
When it comes to communications with your team, the more the better. Clarity is essential to project success, so be sure to fully organize your thoughts and focus on how to accomplish the work. Donât create an avalanche by letting problems build. To keep the team synchronized, share the same level of information with all team members and use visual tools to track progress and each memberâs role in it.
Transparency in your communications will build trusting, productive working relationships between all parties involved in the project. Answer questions promptly and directly. Grow thicker skin and remember to control your emotions. When emotions take over, professionalism is lost. Read between your lines to remove the potential for misinterpretation.
Most importantly, make sure that your messages are received. Passive forms of communication, such as email and voicemail, place the burden of responsibility on the sender. So, if your email goes unanswered, take the necessary steps to confirm that it made its way to its intended recipient.
Last of all, consider when to communicate. Be mindful that measured silence can speak volumes. Knowing when to speak up and when not to is an acquired trait well worth cultivating.
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TAP INTO STAKEHOLDER POWER
In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda said that âonly a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor.â
While your projects donât have to contend with Darth Vader or the Emperor, finding the right allies makes a galaxy of difference when it comes to ensuring a projectâs success.
Stakeholders exist at many levels within an organization. They may be directly involved with your project, or merely affected by its activities or outcome. The key is to actively seek out and forge alliances with the ones who are respected, influential, and have the authority to make decisions. But how do you engage stakeholders when they have multiple priorities and you need their support?
Convert your stakeholders into true believers. Do this by providing them with regular information, showing team success, incorporating their input into the project objectives, involving them in solving roadblocks encountered by the team, and building the trust needed for them to empower you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Identify stakeholders who have the authority to make decisions.
Get to know your stakeholdersâ perspective(s) and learn about their vision and challenges.
Build trust by sharing your teamâs successes and challenges.
Keep stakeholders informed with information targeted to address their needs.
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UNDERSTAND YOUR STAKEHOLDER
âGet up front!â When his officers needed to tell him something, thatâs what legendary General George S. Patton wanted them to do.25 He wanted direct, simple engagement from his subordinates with no hesitation. He didnât want anyone to waste his time, Porter Williamson, one of his former staff officers, explainedâand Pattonâs officers were certainly never in any doubt about what the general wanted.
Williamson and his fellow officers knew Patton so well that he influenced every aspect of their military careers. âNo man served under Gen. Patton,â Williamson wrote in his memoir. âHe was always serving with us. In truth, I still serve with Gen. Patton, and he continues to serve with me.â26 Though it isnât necessary to get to that depth of understanding with your stakeholders, it is necessary to have a very clear picture of what they want and to provide them with exactly what they need.
To be successful, provide stakeholders with accurate data about project deliverables and progress. Refine and focus the information you have as much as possible. Donât waffle or waste their time. Give them solid facts and clearly articulated metrics so they understand your teamâs situation and how it aligns with the projectâs charter. Treat sponsor updates like you would an elevator pitch: brief, informative, and to the point.
Reports or presentations for your projectâs stakeholders should demonstrate in a clear way what your team has accomplished. If the project involves something concreteâfor example, creating a piece of software or print materialsâput a sample in their hands. Make your teamâs success tangible to stakeholders and let them witness it for themselves. This will increase their trust.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Be on point when providing progress updates to your stakeholders.
Demonstrate and engage the stakeholders not only about problems, but also about what the team accomplished.
Provide a realistic picture of where the project is, ideally via concrete examples.
Engage stakeholders to help provide clarity on project priorities and direction.
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INFORM STAKEHOLDERS,
BUT DONâT OVERDO IT
Technology has changed many things about modern life, but it hasnât replaced one of the most indispensable roles in the US Army: the cavalry scout. Scouts werenât just the eyes and ears of US forces on the frontier in the mid-nineteenth centuryâtheyâre still critical today. In a combat situation, these soldiers forge ahead of the troops and gather critical information on enemy positions and movements.
When it comes to important stakeholders, your team functions much like a cavalry scout. Youâre the one with up-to-the-minute intel on a projectâs momentum and any evolv...
