NG Beng Lim

Adjunct Faculty, SMU

3 minute read

Date: 2021-09-27 16:44:42 +0800

Your mid-term presentation is round the corner. I would like to share some thoughts on how to be more effective in communication.

Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder management is one of the most important ingredients for successful project delivery, and yet it is seldom given the focus it deserves. Project Managers (PMs) tend to avoid engagement where possible, to the detriment of the success of the project. Maybe it is because PMs are generally more technically oriented and do not see themselves needing to be a strong communicator.

Who then are the stakeholders of a project? Simple answer is everyone involved in the project. You manage UPWARDS (the management team), engage SIDEWAYS (ie, your peers) and lead DOWNWARDS (ie, people who look up to you for guidance). However, most will consider handling the management team to be the most challenging. As shown in the typical IT project Org Chart, these would include the project sponsor as well as those in the IT Steering Committee (ITSC) - comprising senior executives of the user team and the project team.

Typical OrgChart

As the name implies, the ITSC provides clear oversight and direction of the project. The continual update of the project progress is essential. There are 2 mode: offline written and face-to-face verbal. It is the sole responsibility of the PM to carry out this task competently.

Written Communication

Progress Reports should be prepared and distributed at regular intervals, typically monthly. Here are some notes to consider:

  1. Know your audience - do background search if necessary.
  2. Be truthful. Present both good news and bad news.
  3. Provide a summary of key points before presenting the details. Consider charts on progress and easy to understand traffic light status system.
  4. Highlight potential risks arising, eg, foreseeable delays.
  5. Submit on time.
  6. Use plain simple English. Check grammar and spelling. No technical terms unless really necessary - explain.
  7. Ensure continuity from one report to the next. Eg, Issues brought up in earlier reports must be tracked in subsequent ones until closed.
  8. Clear report with sponsor first to gain prior support.

ITSC Meetings

The purposes of such meetings are to allow the PM to present the project status and for the ITSC members to clarify issues.

  1. Be prepared. Get latest update on status even till the hour before.
  2. Anticipate questions. Use informal network to check on possible derailment issues. The sponsor should also have good insights on management sentiments.
  3. No surprises. If there is bad news, ensure soft landing by providing advance information and prepare all possible solutions to issue at hand.
  4. Prep for the actual meeting. Hand out presentation slides 2-3 days before hand. Circulate agenda of meeting 1 week in advance. Check all logistics arrangement are in working order before start of meeting.
  5. Keep presentation to the agenda schedule. Do you exceed time given. Allocate some time for Q&A.
  6. Keep slides simple. Do not read directly. As a rule of thumb, each slide should not have more than 6 bullet points with succinct phrases. Do not spend more than 1 minute per point to ensure slides refresh frequently.
  7. Use different media in presentation - eg, videos, images, charts, live demos, etc to enhance variety.
  8. Get different people to present on their expert areas to break monotony - but limit to 4 so as not to disrupt the flow.
  9. Speak clearly and confidently to show competence and control, but with humility and respect.
  10. Be very clear on what you want to achieve out of the meeting. Reflect on whether they have been achieved before ending.
  11. Invite questions towards the end. Summarize key takeaways and action items.

Closing Remarks

Soft skills are crucial assets the PM needs to acquire. Technical skills can be learned, but such skills come with experience - practice makes perfect.

References

  1. [10 Principles Of Stakeholder Engagement APM](https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/find-a-resource/stakeholder-engagement/key-principles/)
  2. [Presentation Skills: 15 tips for effective presentations CBS](https://www.cbs.de/en/blog/15-effective-presentation-tips-to-improve-presentation-skills/)

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