Your senior stakeholder is unhappy with your project. What’s the first step to getting back on track?
You've just received a harsh email from your senior stakeholder, expressing their dissatisfaction with your project's progress, quality, or outcomes. You feel frustrated, defensive, or anxious, but you know you can't ignore or dismiss their feedback. What's the first step to getting back on track and restoring their confidence in you and your team?
The worst thing you can do is to pretend nothing happened or to argue with your senior stakeholder. They are your key ally and sponsor, and you need to show them respect and empathy. As soon as possible, send them a brief and professional reply, acknowledging their concerns, apologizing for any mistakes or delays, and expressing your commitment to address them. Don't make excuses or blame others, but don't take responsibility for things that are not your fault either. Be honest and transparent about the root causes and the impact of the issues.
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When a senior stakeholder is unhappy, the first and foremost thing is to acknowledge their concerns because does not matter what the root cause is, a project manager bears the ultimate responsibility of the project she/he is leading. I would start by actively listening to the grievances of the senior stakeholder with open mind, take notes, validate with the stakeholder to ensure that I have captured his/her concerns completely and correctly. Thereafter, I would come up with a plan to address the stakeholder concerns by certain due date duly vetted with the stakeholder. Then, I would assess the situation with the help of my subject matter experts. The findings of Root Cause Analysis would be addressed via a corrective action plan.
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Before you go into damage control mode.Deep dive and do your homework. Critical questions to ask; 1. If the stakeholder providing you with feedback/material to provide context on their position? 2. Are the points of his feedback valid and you understand and acknowledge they are areas that need to be improved? Commence damage control without delay. 3. Is the stakeholders position based on opinion or the opinion of others and do they have merit to the project? 4. What is the stakeholders motive? Why is the stakeholder driving this agenda? Does the agenda benefit your project outcome? 5. Strategize a plan to manage the stakeholder. Start with damage control, professional courteous documented attempts to meet them at their unhappy place.
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In my opinion as a PM, when a senior stakeholder expresses dissatisfaction with the project, there are key steps to get the project back on track: 1. Assess the situation and get the root cause: Accurately identify the source of the delay or issues. Utilize tools like Pareto Charts, 5 Whys, or Fishbone Diagrams to pinpoint the root cause. Understanding the underlying issue is crucial. 2. Keep the Stakeholders in the loop/informed. Transparency is vital. Communicate openly with stakeholders from the outset and throughout the project. 3. Lean on the Project Team: Projects are a team effort. Collaborate with your project team to solve problems rather than merely identifying them. The best solutions emerge from a collective approach.
Before you jump into action, you need to have a clear and objective understanding of the situation. Gather all the relevant data, facts, and feedback from your team, your clients, and other stakeholders. Analyze the scope, severity, and urgency of the issues, and identify the gaps and risks in your project plan, budget, timeline, quality, or deliverables. Don't rely on assumptions or opinions, but on evidence and data. Use tools like SWOT analysis, root cause analysis, or risk matrix to help you structure your assessment.
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La evaluación es el siguiente paso para resolver este complejo problema, se puede ejecutar un análisis de causa raíz o espina de pescado para determinar las fallas en la determinación inicial de las expectativas y requisitos del interesado. Se debe realizar un análisis exhaustivo de la retroalimentación, al entender las preocupaciones, en todo el contexto del alcance del proyecto, los objetivos, y las limitaciones existentes. Se puede entender con precisión si las preocupaciones son resultado de malentendidos, expectativas no realistas, cambios en los requisitos del proyecto, o si hay problemas legítimos en la ejecución del proyecto.
Once you have a realistic and data-driven picture of the situation, you need to communicate your plan to your senior stakeholder. Schedule a meeting or a call with them, and prepare a concise and clear presentation of your findings, your actions, and your expected outcomes. Explain how you will address the issues, what resources and support you need, and how you will measure and report your progress. Anticipate their questions and concerns, and be ready to provide evidence and examples. Demonstrate your confidence and competence, but also your openness and flexibility.
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La tercera parte es muy clave y crítica, la comunicación del plan de acción, ésta debe ser abierta y honesta, a más de técnica, algunos directores de proyecto tienen un gran perfil comunicador, o se puede solicitar soporte para lograr este fin, que es clave, se debe comunicar: los hallazgos y la comprensión de las preocupaciones de la parte interesada de manera abierta y honesta. Esto incluye reconocer errores que se pudieron cometer, tratar y discutir el alcance y las limitaciones del proyecto; expresando el compromiso para resolver los problemas.
After you have aligned with your senior stakeholder on your plan, you need to implement your actions as soon as possible. Assign roles and responsibilities to your team members, and monitor and track their performance. Provide regular and timely updates to your senior stakeholder, and keep them informed of any changes or challenges. Solicit their feedback and input, and adjust your plan as needed. Celebrate your successes and learn from your failures. Show your senior stakeholder that you are proactive, accountable, and results-oriented.
The final step to getting back on track is to evaluate your results and share them with your senior stakeholder. Review your data, metrics, and feedback, and compare them with your initial goals and expectations. Highlight your achievements and improvements, but also acknowledge your shortcomings and limitations. Identify the lessons learned and the best practices that you can apply to future projects. Thank your senior stakeholder for their support and guidance, and ask for their suggestions and recommendations.
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