Tips for effective Communications Management and Stakeholder Expectation Management

1. BEYOND PMP:!
COMMUNICATIONS & STAKEHOLDER
MANAGEMENT
ABHINAY VERMA

2. Purpose of this document
Learning about project management doesn’t end when you pass the PMP exam. PMP teaches a
methodology that every practitioner must follow.
However, the PMP content is quite detailed and is geared for large projects and many small
projects, typically in IT industry, do not follow all processes described in the PMBOK.
As a result, many PMP certified project managers either forget what their learnt or start thinking
that most of what they studied is not relevant for their roles.
This slide deck is intended for all of us who wish to retain the most important and practice advice
that PMP taught us irrespective of how big or small our projects are.

3. COMMUNICATIONS & STAKEHOLDER
MANAGEMENT

4. Stakeholders Matter
A project has many stakeholders. For a Project Manager, it is important to manage stakeholder expectations.
Stakeholders play multiple roles – there are stakeholders who have financed the project, those who will give the
requirements, those who are impacted by your project, those who will provide technical expertise and so on.
As PM, it is important to manage their expectations from the project. Managing expectations doesn’t mean following
them blindly or doing everything they demand.
It means communicating with them effectively, defining what your project will or will not do and making sure
everybody is on the same page about what is being delivered.

5. Stakeholders Matter
We all have seen this image
somewhere.
This wouldn’t have happened with proper stakeholder management and effective communication.

6. How to Go About Managing Stakeholders
Identify all stakeholders
Determine their requirements, their expectations and interests
Find out their level of influence
Communicate with them
Manage their
expectations throughout
the project

7. Identifying Stakeholders
A Stakeholder Register is a good tool to list down each stakeholder. It helps record all of the details about each
stakeholder that we saw in the previous slide.
Name Title Department/
Business Unit
Contact
Details
Requirements Expectations Influence Level
(Low to High)

8. Planning Communications
An effective Project Manager must determine how will she communicate with each and every stakeholders.
Communications could occur internally or externally to the project team and a good communication plan should
plan for all such communications.
Project
Manager
(You)
Team Members
Sponsors,
Customers
Other Project Managers,
Functional Managers
Other
Stakeholders

9. Using Different Types of Communication
Source: PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy
CommunicationType Use for:
Formal andVerbal Presentations,Workshops, Demos, Speeches, Management
Meetings
Formal and Written Project Charter, Project Management Plan, Memos, E-mails with
senior management and other stakeholders, complex issues/
scenarios
Informal and Written E-mail between project team members, Instant Messaging
Informal andVerbal Team Meetings, Conversations

10. Methods of Communication
Source: PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy
Different communication methods can be grouped into three broad categories:
Interactive Communication
• Reciprocal Communication mechanism involving two or more people
• One person provides information
• Others receive it and then respond to it
• Example: Meetings, Conference Calls, Conversations
Push Communication
• One-way flow of information
• Sender broadcasts information without expecting feedback
• Example: Status Reports, memos
Pull Communication
• One person puts information in a central location
• Recipients are response for retrieving the information
• Example: Shared drive or portal where large documents are uploaded

11. Communication Blockers
The following are impediments to effective communication.Try to avoid them to the extent possible.
Noisy
Surroundings
Jargons and
Slangs
Negative
Statements
Language and
Culture
Hostility
High Context
Conversation

12. Tips for Effective Meetings
Ø Have a purpose for every meeting. Define an agenda.
Ø Schedule meetings sufficiently in advance.
Ø Invite only the necessary people.
Ø Distribute the agenda in advance, preferably with the meeting invite.
Ø Let participants know if they need to come prepared with some information.
Ø Stick to the time and agenda. Pace the meeting to cover all agenda items within time.
Ø If somebody digresses, please request them to set up another meeting or discuss offline.
Ø Document and publish meeting minutes.Assign action items to those responsible for it.
These tips will be helpful to have effective meetings everywhere – whether related to a project or not.