{"id":8905,"date":"2020-10-28T16:53:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T16:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordcorp.com\/five-tips-for-managing-stakeholders\/"},"modified":"2023-10-19T07:50:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T07:50:52","slug":"five-tips-for-managing-stakeholders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oxfordcorp.com\/en\/insights\/blog\/five-tips-for-managing-stakeholders\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Tips for Managing Stakeholders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Featured article by Diana Alt<\/em><\/p>\n

I started my career as an IT Consultant, and early on I thought my #1 responsibility was getting things done quickly. I realized after my first few projects, however, that managing stakeholder expectations was actually the most important, and often most time consuming, part of the job.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure all of you can relate to this, so I wanted to share five of my favorite stakeholder management tips.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Find the Mystery Stakeholders Early<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ever start an engagement where the client hands you a list of stakeholders almost immediately?\u00a0You know what the biggest mistake you can make with this list is?<\/p>\n

Assuming there\u2019s a complete and correct list of stakeholders. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When someone tells you who your stakeholders are, I suggest one of the FIRST things you do is schedule a meet and greet chat which includes this question:\u00a0\u201cWho else should we be talking to throughout this project, and why?\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Odds are good you will find out more people or teams to consider than were on the list you were originally given. This also helps you understand each stakeholder\u2019s objectives, confirm that they agree on the project\u2019s deliverables, and what their roles are.\u00a0Address any discrepancies that you uncover early, and often. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Tip #2: Set a Communications Cadence With\u00a0Your Stakeholders<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the top time sucks for consultants and project managers is staying on top ad-hoc requests for project information. This can be very painful, but also very preventable.<\/p>\n

At the onset of a project, define expectations for when and how you\u2019ll communicate with your stakeholders and project team.\u00a0 This should be done with input from the stakeholders in question. While the overarching framework is key to project management and communication, it is NOT\u00a0a one-size-fits-all approach anymore.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the developers and product owner on your Scrum team will not need the same information that the Chief Technology Officer does, and the CTO doesn\u2019t need to engage with your project as often as most other stakeholders.<\/p>\n

EVERYONE will benefit from a communications plan that lays out when and where key information will be made available.\u00a0Consistency is key.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Agree to Standard Communication Channels <\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of my favorite<\/em> tips I was given in my very first consulting job was to find out the communication channels my key stakeholders liked best.<\/p>\n

At the time, I was working with someone who was addicted to conference calls for everything. He wanted to \u201cpull everyone together\u201d for ad-hoc conversations outside our normal communications cadence. It drove everyone bananas.\u00a0It also wasted a lot of money.<\/p>\n

My willingness to meet one person\u2019s preference for face-to-face communication via a Zoom call or a desk visit and another\u2019s preference for instant messages helps my stakeholders feel valued and heard.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re working on a large program with dozens of stakeholders, I wouldn\u2019t try doing this for every single person. Simply honoring the preferences of your top five stakeholders will go a very long way towards building great relationships.<\/p>\n

Tip #4: No Surprises<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You know when I like surprises? On my birthday.\u00a0You know when I like surprises in my work? PRETTY MUCH NEVER, and neither do your stakeholders.<\/p>\n

This means that you must commit to eliminating as many surprises possible on your projects. The more complex that the project is, the more need there will be for change and discussion on the original roadmap. Be sure to gather consensus in advance on how changes will be handled.<\/p>\n

Make sure the right people know things are not going according to plan as early as possible. Bring your suggestions for addressing the problem to the table, and be open to other ideas, too. It\u2019s also helpful to ensure the vision for the project is visible and discussed regularly, to further avoid scope creep.<\/p>\n

Tip #5: Remember You are Dealing With People<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Newsflash: People forget things.<\/p>\n