BackComplex Stakeholder Management 101
Over the past four years, I have helped develop Myriad’s project management practice. As a project manager, I am the main point of contact for our clients during a variety of projects, including office moves, wireless surveys, and infrastructure upgrades (greenfield and brownfield) just to name a few. Through my PMP certification and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training, I have adopted best practices that help me ensure I communicate to our clients effectively throughout the project.
One of the first tasks I complete in any engagement is to send over a Stakeholder Register to our clients. This document gives everyone a clear snapshot of who the main points of contact are and any other team members that should be included on communications. It asks for names, titles, contact information, and level of authority. In a smaller project, this list might only have 1-2 people, but ensuring a consistent, quality experience for every client on every engagement is priority #1 in Myriad’s professional services team. So what happens when your project involves many departments, managers, and supporting resources?
This is when complex stakeholder management comes in handy. Once we have our list of stakeholders, we determine the level of support and impact each stakeholder has on the project and classify them into four groups:
- Manage Closely
- Keep Satisfied
- Keep Informed
- Monitor
Stakeholders in the “Manage Closely” group are directly involved in the project and responsible for its internal success and transition to operations. They will receive weekly or daily updates on progress depending on the type of project, and play a large part in decision-making. This includes authority on change requests for scope increase/decrease, as well as project sign-off.
The “Keep Satisfied” group may not be directly involved in the project, but these individuals are likely managers in an adjacent department. Because they have high power or level of authority in the project, it is important to ensure they are on board with the project outcome.
The “Keep Informed” stakeholders usually directly report to individuals in the “Manage Closely” and “Keep Satisfied” group. They are affected by the project outcome and need to be informed on anything that may change their current workflow.
Lastly, there are stakeholders in the “Monitor” group. These individuals do not require excessive communication (i.e. when every activity is completed) – Milestone or Phase updates are more appropriate.
The last step in complex stakeholder management is determining the frequency of communication based on your group analysis, as well as the type of communication. Weekly cadence calls/meetings are a huge help, as they put the stakeholder in control of attending. The key to success here is creating a solid communication management plan. Some stakeholders prefer emails, while others appreciate a phone call. My job as project manager is to ensure I’m effectively communicating to everyone involved.
The frequency and type of communication required of each stakeholder should be documented and updated as needed in a communication matrix. In addition to the matrix, an escalation process should be identified to ensure the appropriate stakeholders are involved in higher priority conversations or communication involving confidential or sensitive information.
Of course, stakeholder analyses and communication matrices are fluid documents, so it’s important to remain flexible if something changes during the project. The next steps are to update, obtain approval from the main point of contact, and publish it to the entire project team. Once expectations are set with each stakeholder, the communication plan should allow for smooth sailing, successful engagements, and happy clients!
