One of the most important project management skills that you will need in your arsenal as a project manager is the ability to communicate. This will need to be with a range of different people and on a number of different levels. Good communication is vital, no matter whether you’re talking to the most junior member of your team or your stakeholders. You will quickly realize that the way in which you communicate with individuals may vary from one to another. Dealing effectively with your stakeholders is incredibly important and has major implications for your project. Therefore, it is really important to look at how you can develop a relationship with your stakeholders and improve it so that you can be the best project manager you can be.
It is not enough to rest on your laurels as a project manager. You should always be looking to improve everything from your customer satisfaction levels to your processes. When you take this into consideration it will be clear for all around you to see. Your stakeholder will be happy, and this will make it easier to work with them on the project. A client will always prefer to work with a project manager who is able to demonstrate that they are fully committed to the project.
Training
When it comes to project management there is always something new to learn. This can mean that taking a project manager course, even when you are fully qualified can be beneficial. This type, of course, isn’t just suitable for those individuals who are starting out on their project manager journey. It could also help those who have been working in the field for a while and are looking to expand their knowledge and ensure that they are up to date with all the latest techniques. If you want to learn how to boost your stakeholder relationships, especially in tech-driven environments, then this may well be a very good place to start.
Communicate
Stakeholders love to be kept in the loop, so early on it can be a good idea to find out exactly what is expected of you in terms of communication. Does your stakeholder want to know everything that happens, or do they want a weekly update? More importantly, what form do they want their updates to take? A busy stakeholder may not want to be tied to a phone call each week so emailing them an update that they can then follow up on maybe the most appropriate choice. This will put the ball firmly in their court should they need more information they can contact you when they have time.
Be transparent
Being transparent and honest are really important attributes to apply to your communication with your stakeholders and is just as important when it comes to building these relationships as any others in life. It is important to be really honest with your stakeholders. When you hide the truth from them, they will be more disappointed to discover that you have hidden the truth than they will be about the truth itself. Things can and will go wrong with a project and stakeholders understand this, however, when you communicate openly about these problems, they will understand that they can trust you and this will help to make a great working relationship.
Particularly in tech projects, where things move quickly and emergent change is often necessary, good communication skills can make a difference to the success of your project.
