Communicating and Working with Stakeholders | Google Project Management Certificate

Understanding Team Composition in Project Management

The Importance of Team Selection

• JuAnne emphasizes the significance of outlining project needs to select the right team members, as they are crucial for project success.

• A project manager must identify necessary roles for each task, ensuring accountability within the project lifecycle.

• Team size varies based on project scale; small projects may require only a few members, while larger ones can involve hundreds of participants at companies like Google.

Balancing Team Size and Communication

• Effective communication is vital; too many team members can lead to missed details, while too few may hinder task completion.

• Skills assessment is essential when assigning roles; however, potential team members can be trained if they lack specific skills initially.

Factors Influencing Team Member Selection

• Availability and motivation are critical factors in choosing teammates; even skilled individuals may not be suitable if they are overcommitted or unmotivated.

• Project managers often face challenges when resources are assigned by others, requiring adaptability to work with available personnel.

Key Considerations for Assembling a Project Team

Evaluating Resource Needs

• Project managers should assess staff experience, availability, and workload on other projects when determining team composition.

• There is no one-size-fits-all formula for assembling a team; each project's unique requirements necessitate tailored approaches.

Defining Roles and Responsibilities

• Clearly defining roles from the outset helps ensure accountability among team members throughout the project's duration.

• In smaller organizations or limited-resource situations, individuals may need to take on multiple roles simultaneously.

Roles Within a Project Team

Key Project Roles Explained

• The project sponsor holds accountability for delivering value and maintaining communication with stakeholders throughout the process.

• Team members execute day-to-day tasks essential for project progress. Their contributions form the backbone of successful execution.

Understanding Stakeholders in Project Management

Overview of Stakeholders

• A software company has developed an instant messaging application for teams, purchased by corporation ABC. The users are the employees within ABC, while stakeholders include anyone with a vested interest in the project's success.

• Primary stakeholders benefit directly from the project, whereas secondary stakeholders play intermediary roles and are indirectly impacted. Both types help define project goals.

Roles in Office Green Project

• The Office Green project aims to launch a new plant service for commercial spaces, guided by a SMART goal: to provide office plants to top clients by year-end.

• The project sponsor is the director of product who oversees budget approval and alignment with the vision of providing easy-to-maintain live plants for better work environments.

• Team members come from various departments; marketing is involved to promote the new service. Notably, one team member fulfills dual roles as both landscape designer and website designer.

Identifying Customers and Users

• Buyers such as office managers or procurement teams represent customers interested in Office Green services. Employees at these offices are considered users since they will enjoy the plants.

• Secondary stakeholders like investors and receptionists need to be informed throughout the project despite not playing active roles.

Importance of Stakeholder Analysis

• Stakeholder analysis visually represents all involved parties, helping avoid surprises and ensuring proper engagement at critical times during the project.

• Effective stakeholder analysis reveals opportunities for success and potential risks while clarifying responsibilities among stakeholders.

Steps for Conducting Stakeholder Analysis

• Three key steps include listing all impacted stakeholders, determining their level of interest and influence, and assessing their ability to participate effectively.

• Influence refers to how much power a stakeholder has over outcomes; interest measures how much their needs are affected by project operations (e.g., HR vs. sales department).

Utilizing Power Grid for Stakeholder Management

• A power grid helps assign importance levels based on interest and influence; higher positions indicate more crucial roles in achieving project success.

Stakeholder Management Strategies

Understanding Stakeholder Influence and Interest

• Stakeholders with high influence but low interest are located in the top left corner of the grid. It's essential to consult these stakeholders as their opinions are crucial for project success. For instance, a director of product may have significant influence but limited day-to-day involvement, resulting in lower interest.

• Conversely, stakeholders with low influence but high interest occupy the bottom right corner. Keeping them informed about project developments is vital, even if they don't require direct input. An example includes the customer success team, which has lower influence yet a vested interest due to their client interactions.

• The bottom left corner contains stakeholders with both low influence and low interest; while they are less critical to immediate project needs, monitoring their status remains important to ensure no issues arise later on.

Effective Communication and Engagement

• Creating a stakeholder communication grid helps track who should be engaged and when throughout the project lifecycle. This tool aids in identifying key players for timely updates and consultations based on their level of influence and interest.

• A steering committee composed of high-influence and high-interest stakeholders can facilitate decision-making regarding budget changes or timeline adjustments. Although the project manager does not sit on this committee, they play a crucial role in providing relevant information for swift decisions.

Strategies for Stakeholder Buy-In

• Engaging stakeholders effectively requires strategic planning tailored to each individual's needs; some may need daily meetings while others only periodic updates will suffice. High-impact stakeholders must feel included in discussions to foster support for the project's goals and objectives.

• Overcommunication is beneficial early on for those needing time to make decisions; frequent meetings and end-of-day progress emails can help them stay informed and prepared to contribute meaningfully when required.

Tailoring Information Delivery

• Assessing how much detail each stakeholder requires is crucial—avoid overwhelming those who only need summaries while ensuring that key members receive comprehensive updates pertinent to their roles (e.g., sales teams needing pricing changes).

RACI Chart: Defining Roles

Introduction to RACI Charts

• A RACI chart clarifies roles within a project by categorizing participants into four types: Responsible (those doing the work), Accountable (those ensuring completion), Consulted (those providing feedback), and Informed (those needing final outcomes). This structure promotes efficiency by delineating responsibilities clearly among team members.

Creating an Effective RACI Chart

• To construct a RACI chart:

• List tasks or deliverables down one side.

• Write participant roles across the top.

• Use roles instead of names where possible for flexibility.

• Keep descriptions simple for clarity without excessive detail.

This approach ensures that everyone understands their contributions toward achieving project goals efficiently.

Assigning Responsibilities

• When assigning roles:

• Identify who is responsible for each task.

• Determine accountability if tasks aren't completed.

• Recognize individuals whose insights are valuable enough to warrant consultation.

• Specify who needs updates on progress or decisions made.

Understanding Accountability and Role Clarity in Teams

The Importance of Clear Roles

• There can be multiple roles categorized as informed or consulted, but only one person should be designated as accountable to avoid confusion and clearly define ownership.

• The accountable individual may also take on the responsibility for tasks, which can further clarify their role within the team.

Factors Leading to Role Confusion

• Unbalanced workloads can create disparities where some team members are overburdened while others have less work, leading to potential frustration and inefficiency.

• An unclear hierarchy complicates decision-making processes, making it difficult for team members to know whom to approach for assistance when tasks are incomplete.

• Overlapping responsibilities among teams or individuals can lead to confusion about who is responsible for specific tasks or decisions.

Communication Challenges

• Excessive communication, despite its usual benefits, can result in information overload; this makes it challenging for team members to discern what is important and may cause them to overlook critical details.