In a small company where many individuals overlap project teams, I have two questions:
PLEASE help a 'non project manager' with a few project questions:
1) Must a stakeholder attend every project meeting - even when there may not be an action item on the agenda for him? For example, in a product development meeting where the IT person may only need to effect change at the end of the project, is it permissible to have him start attending project meetings when his expertise is needed?
2) How do you determine who needs to be on a project team? With a staff of approximately 80 whereby only a handful are mid managers and up, some managers are asked to sit on every project whereas some want to be included because they like to know what is happening in the organization. Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
They really don't have to come to every meeting. Try setting out roles and responsibilities, and have a project org chart that explains who is filling what role so that people feel comfortable that the right people are attending. As for people wanting to show up just to hear what's going on in the business, you can address that through good comms. I personally wouldn't turn someone away if they turned up at one of my meetings in that situation, but I would question if it was a good use of their time. Saving Changes...
John AogonProject Manager| IBM UgandaKampala, Uganda
In response to Mia's submission
If important outcomes/decisions arise from a particular meeting, the PM should be guided by the communication plan on how such information is shared with rest of the stakeholders.
Also you need to ensure you have stakeholders correctly identified and categorized so that you do not end up with important stakeholder missed out in a meeting. However, if situation arises that you had not anticipated requiring inputs from a stakeholder who is not in attendance then another follow up meeting needs to be arranged with all required stakeholders.
Note: The discussion of stakeholders here is not limited to project team only. The project team is a subset of stakeholders in project. Saving Changes...
Deepa KalangiManager, Program Management, Author, Trainer| CVS HealthCharlotte, NC, United States
As a program manager, I am very understanding and totally care for every stakeholder's time, whatever be the role. If you are a stakeholder and you think you have no contribution for a particular meeting, please make clear communication of the same to the PM, and then the PM questions back via email and you can keep email communication for that meeting or period until which you are really required in the meeting. Hope this helps. Saving Changes...
