Communicating with stakeholders – DISCUSSION
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Communication is very essential in every sector because it fosters oneness amongst Project Managers and Stakeholders; Thus, helps to achieve the goals of the project on time.
I agree with constant communication with all lines of control, the project manager needs to communicate daily with the client to make sure stakeholders are up to date with additions or changes, getting feedbacks and reaching conclusions at every stage of the project from start to finish.
At the Consultancy Firm where I work constant or day to day communication is key for the success of the projects. As a Project Manager, day to day communication with the clients is vey important, informing them on where we are on the project and on reports and deliverables they should be expecting. Also communication with the Team Leads and other Sub Consultant on site to know where we are on the projects at the close of work everyday. The Constant Communication is to make sure that the project is moving based on the project schedules from the Client side, Sub Consultants and Engineers on site.
Looking back at the several projects I’ve accomplished, I would say that I have benefited from good Communication. Communication is vital to ensuring an accomplishment of anything. The following strategies applies;
1. Be honest while communicating, irrespective of the outcome or fear of an outcome.
2. Plan your communication
3. Keep on communicating even if you’ve accomplished a task with the party at that level. Keep updating everyone on the progress of the project.
Effective communication as a practising project manager has been a strategy I also implement effectively as this has enabled us achieve milestones in project execution.
Leadership skills coupled with communication skills make this easy. With the leadership skills comes the confidence to take ownership of roles with confidence and then develop effective communication skills. This empowers ability to communicate with all the stakeholders with a greater confidence to achieve your aims. As a self employed person, I take responsibility in managing how information is communicated to every stakeholder involved and feel confident to work together to achieve the objectives of the organisation.
It’s important as a PM to ensure everyone understands the level of progress in the project. Also, through effective communication, potential issues or conflicts are avoided
•The key role of a project manager is to give stakeholders accurate information, they should engage in daily discussions with their client.
•A project manager is required to always make reports on the progress of the projects in order to carry everyone along and meet the fixed deadline.
•A project manager should not be afraid to bring bad news to the table, but he/she should bring possible solutions to the problem as well.
A project manager should learn to communicate effectively to the stakeholders/client to understand how the project work.
A project manager should not be too fast to bring bad news to the table that could bring some discouragement to the team
Accurate information is very key
As a project manager communication is key. Working on a musical concert it is key every stake holders know what’s on ground and the budget including communicating the time frame for each stake holder.
Never drop bad news on the first meeting, is best to meet stakeholders individually and have a discussion/conversation before a general meeting
As coding operator of a pharmaceutical industry written documentation is needed for getting information of the batch number, manufacturing date and expiration date of a product to be coded and this can be getting from a worksheet or batch production record and also oral communication will be needed to pass and receive information from supervisor on what to do or how to do it and for an proper understanding of the job
Never drop bad news on the first meeting, is best to meet stakeholders individually and have a discussion/conversation before a general meeting.
Communication is key, be transparent while discussing with your stakeholders
As a student union leader, I’ve learned that effective communication with our stakeholders is absolutely vital for the success of our union and our mission to represent student interests. In our context, there are several strategies that I find extremely relevant:
1. Identifying and Prioritizing Stakeholders: We interact with a diverse range of stakeholders, from students to university administrators, faculty, and other student organizations. It’s important for us to understand their unique needs, interests, and levels of influence. Tools like stakeholder mapping help us do this effectively.
2. Tailoring Communication: Our various stakeholders have different communication preferences. For instance, students might prefer social media and informal discussions, while administrators may prefer formal reports and emails. So, we adapt our communication style to cater to these preferences.
3. Regular Updates: We keep our stakeholders informed about our activities, initiatives, and decisions through channels like newsletters, emails, and social media updates. This ensures everyone is in the loop.
4. Two-Way Communication: We actively seek feedback from our stakeholders. We host open forums, surveys, and meetings, providing them with a platform to ask questions and voice their concerns. This dialogue not only keeps everyone engaged but also helps us address their needs.
5. Transparency: We make transparency a cornerstone of our operation. We share our goals, financial matters, and any challenges we face openly. This builds trust and credibility.
6. Engagement Activities: Our stakeholders are encouraged to actively participate and share their ideas. We organize events, workshops, and meetings that allow for collaborative decision-making. This inclusivity leads to more effective outcomes.
7. Advocacy and Lobbying: Sometimes, we need to advocate for student interests with university administration or external organizations. Our effective advocacy and lobbying strategies are essential in these instances.
8. Crisis Communication: We’re prepared to handle crises or challenging situations. We’ve developed a crisis communication plan that outlines how we communicate with stakeholders during unexpected events or controversies.
9. Feedback Loop: We continuously gather feedback from our stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of our communication strategies. This input is invaluable for improving our approach.
10. Use of Technology: Leveraging technology and popular social media platforms is crucial. We use these tools to disseminate information and engage with our stakeholders effectively.
11. Collaboration: We actively collaborate with other student organizations and unions to amplify our collective voice and share resources. Building alliances enhances our ability to influence change on campus.
In my role as a student union leader, I’ve found that adapting and applying these strategies to the specific needs and expectations of our stakeholders, which primarily include fellow students, faculty, university staff, and administrators, is key. Effective communication not only helps us represent student interests but also plays a significant role in the overall success of our student union.
Wow! This is comprehensive. Learnt a great deal from your submissions. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
In organisation we use both oral and written communication for our interactions with stakeholders. Oral communication first, then written communication when documentation of that discussion is needed for reference purpose.
A report is then sent to the supervisor.