Project Management Forum - Change Control

Upward Communication / Managing Up

Forum Discussion Notes for December 17, 2009

Who Could you be Communicating Upward to:

• Sponsor(s)
• Executive Management
• Project Champion
• PMO (Project Management Office)
• Resource Managers
• Other Executives with Impacted Stakeholders (they can in the way sometimes)
• Steering Committee

Communication Methods

• Status Update Meetings (Communicate out status as a PM and ask for decisions)
• Decision-making meetings
• Status Reports
• As-needed Steering Committee Meeting to make decisions that are needed at that time
• Green/Orange/Yellow reporting
• Informal Communication
• Kick-off / Initial Project Planning Meeting

Problems (with Solutions indented)

• Lack of understanding, especially of people who are out of the regular communication loop, and these people end up making assumptions
• Sometimes, different people with different roles want different information
• People decide that they were not informed enough
• All of a sudden, the project is brought to the fore and everyone wants an update
• Send people to Website that is up-to-date all the time
• Dealing with defects in the management system; these people aren’t able to deal with change
• Status Report meetings become Decision-making meetings
• Socialize the executive well prior to the meeting about the upcoming decision
• Present executive summary (3-4 paragraphs) sent in advance, skip it in the meeting
• Have an addendum for more meeting details, not in the presentation, to keep the meeting
• People will ask for the details if they need them
• Ask the person “Shall we get together later to discuss?”
• Use parking lot
• Lack of Communication Plan
• Create a Communication Plan
• Communicate critical items first, so they don’t get lost
• Form relationships with other important staff and stop by informally
• •    Virtual Project Teams require more formal communications
• Phone
• Problem: Phone tag
• Phone is better than e-mail
• Schedule 15-minute phone meetings - feels more formal
• Use chat / IM
• Set ground rules for use
• Works really well for developers
• Quicker than walking down the hall
• Set status to offline when you want to have “heads down” time
• Use it for:
• One-off questions
• Quick status updates
• o    E-mail
• Subject, include “Action Required”
• Subject, include the due date, if there is one
• Subject, include the whole message in the subject, then add EOM for “End of Message”
• Lack of understanding / value of basic project management knowledge by stakeholders
• Too many communication / report formats wanted
• Solution: Be a consultant - reports cost money.
• Messages are misinterpreted
• Lack of sufficient time available in presentations
• Sharing all information is desired (so nothing is hidden) is a political mandate
• Lack of understanding of what communication is needed / desired
• Meetings too long
• Send reports in advance of meeting (will cut some, but not all meeting time down)
• Be on task when holding meetings.  Don’t waffle. Be bold. Present with confidence. Act confidence.
• Wasting other people’s time
• Provide feedback to the PM if a meeting or your involvement or the scope is not useful
• Send “Green” status update prior to the meeting and ask the PM (with a deadline) whether the meeting is still scheduled

General Solutions

• Q&A time in a meeting
• Make a consistent meeting format
• Watch audience and adjust format accordingly
• After the meeting (offline) and ask the meeting attendees (especially the ones who appear bored) if the meeting is useful and what they would like to see in the meeting

Meetings Need

• Assessment (of stakeholders) prior to the meeting of what topics to include in the agenda
• Appropriate stakeholders at the meeting
• Agenda
• Time (allow enough time for conversation, some people need more time)
• Owner
• Subject
• Objectives
• Outcomes
• Action Items need owners and due dates - these form the topics for the next agenda
• Parking Lot