How to manage difficult stakeholders and how to get past the kick off session successfully, in order to get to the Project Charter.
Managing time and scope agreement.
Biggest Lesson learned. Is it a success or failure? Saving Changes...
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
First thing to do is to understand that difficult stakeholders do not exist. People behave in a way for a reason, mainly because their perception about the situation. But trying to direct you to some methods that helped me a lot take a closer look to selling methods like: Solution Selling (or SPIN Selling), LAMP and Power Base Selling. On the other side, I wrote articles and some of them have been published by the PMI and others with theorical/practical things about how this type of things have been explained by physics from long time ago. For example, by Isaac Newton´s Laws. No matter that, and returning to the point, my recomendation is reading some of the selling methods I listed above, mainly Solution Selling that you can find for free into the internet. Saving Changes...
Hi Sergio, thanks for your feedback and insight. Regards Ilda.
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1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
Feb 11, 2021 3:29 PM
Sergio Luis Conte
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You are welcome.
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Feb 11, 2021 2:19 PM
Replying to Ilda Maria Sousa Ferreira
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Hi Sergio, thanks for your feedback and insight. Regards Ilda.
You are welcome. Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Ilda,
If you are holding a “project kick-off” session before the charter is signed, then you have the cart before the horse. However, if you are referring to preliminary meetings in the initiation phase, then I understand your question.
In the early meetings with your “proposed” sponsor and stakeholders, “you are the product.” As Sergio implied, you need to sell yourself and your unique abilities to meet the proposed project’s objectives, as difficult stakeholders are normally stakeholders who do not have faith in the “project apparatus” (which you are representing).
In this early phase, I have found executives are more interested in the PM’s business domain knowledge and their ability to communicate in business vernacular than their technical project management skills. In other words, they want to feel comfortable that you will be able to translate their goals and objectives into a project. Once they “feel comfortable,” they usually loosen up as they have given you a measure of trust. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
I'm not sure what is meant by "difficult stakeholders". I suppose I would be one as my first two questions to the PM would be: "How do you propose to deliver on my project objective." and "What do you need from me to ensure success?" This has to be established for each stakeholder and, preferably, be documented in the Project Charter. For me a "difficut stakeholder" is one who does not state his needs or ask what is required of him.
If that's the case, the PM can pre-empt by providing or suggesting answers to the how and what questions and get feed back.
If you do not get those issues addressed at the very beginning you will have a rough road.
Note, in my experience the PM has to satisfy the stakeholders rather than the other way around. You don't want the stakeholders asking the question: "How does a stakeholder deal with a difficult (or incompetent) project manager?" Saving Changes...
