One concern that all project managers have is stakeholder management. This is undoubtedly one of the most difficult aspects of the job, which is why a lot of project management training courses focus extensively on it. Unless you are very, very lucky, there is going to be a point within any project whereby stakeholder expectations do not align with the actual situation. You need to know how to manage this effectively. Below, we are going to take a look at some common scenarios and provide you with some tips on how to handle them.
Project managers often have to balance project constraints with the wishes of their stakeholders. A lot of stakeholders assume that projects can be done inexpensively, quickly and to a high level of quality, without any constraints being sacrificed. Of course, we all know that the reality tends to be very different. It is important to make stakeholders aware of the risks that can occur when well planned, quality projects are sacrificed for ‘quick and smudged’ projects. It is also a good idea to appoint change agents, as they can educate all involved about the benefits and impact of the project.
Another issue arises when the stakeholder believes that a project is failing simply because the team is not hitting every single milestone on the dates that have been specified. So, what should you do? You need to be transparent and clear when managing stakeholder expectations. You should explain to them that the project plan is a projection of what you anticipate to happen, and that it may need to be adapted, as an outdated project plain will result in failure. You should communicate with stakeholders in regards to immediate milestones and what they can expect. You must also communicate whenever you believe a milestone is to be at risk. Do this urgently and explain the reasons as well as the new plans you have put in place.
If you fail to communicate the status of the project for a while, the stakeholder may deduce that you are hiding negative information from them. This can often arise if you have not put an effective information distribution plan in place. During the planning phase of the project, it is important to come up with a list of everyone that is either involved in or impacted by the project. You should then filter the stakeholders based on their closeness to the final project operations, as well as their power and influence. You can then put together a plan regarding the distribution of information so that a breakdown in communication does not arise.
Last but not least, a stakeholder management issue that almost all project managers will experience is as follows: the stakeholder asks for a change, which they believe to be minor, and they do not understand why approval is required or a formal process of change management needs to be undertaken. You need to make all stakeholders aware of the change management process from the offset, highlighting that all changes, no matter how small, need to go through the approved process.
