What is a steering
committee?
A
project’s steering committee is the group of business leaders who approve the
project’s goals and funding. In some companies, this is a formal committee that
meets regularly to oversee all projects and initiatives, but in others, it
could just be the CEO and COO. Either way, this group requires an
executive-level understanding of a project’s health and progress.
Communication
makes or breaks projects. From expectations to engagement, your project
management communication skills have the strongest influence on success.
But
this isn’t some ivory-tower or best-case-scenario article. Work is messy, and
this piece will offer concise recommendations on how to improve a project with
effective communication when a crisis arises.
For
each scenario, we’ll cover what you can do to improve communication with the
steering committee and project team. We’ll be weaving in some of Gartner’s
effective communication advice (full article available to Gartner clients only)
along with our research to help you out.
Scenario #1: The last minute project assignment
Maybe
the original PM needs to take an extended leave of absence or the CEO has
greenlit a project and wanted it started yesterday. Either way, you’ve been
assigned a new project to launch stat. After the panic has passed, you return
to your desk and craft a game plan.
Project management communication skills for …
The
steering committee: Understand their communication preferences and
requirements. How often do they want status reports? This isn’t a time to try
to share with them your intricate processes. Instead, learn their expectations
and start meeting them as soon as possible.
The
project team: Leave your stress at your desk when you meet with the
team. They’ll be under enough stress, so don’t add to it by showing anything
but your steady hand on the wheel. Address the circumstances of this last
minute project assignment directly and answer any questions they have. Then,
share your plan and get the team excited for the new project!
The
sense of urgency that comes along with a last minute assignment can lead you to
rush. Don’t rush communication, not in this situation or really in any. Gartner
advises to “invest the time upfront to prepare for every communication
interaction to ensure greater success.” So practice what you’re going to say
and have someone else read any communications you’ve written before sharing
with the team.
Scenario #2: Project health is red
By
“red” I’m referring to reporting on the status of a project using red, yellow,
and green. Red means that the health of the project is critical and corrective
action is required. (Here’s more on how to calculate project health.)
The issues causing the project to be in the red should have been reported as
yellow at least once before so it shouldn’t be a shock. But remain sensitive to
the fact that no one wants to see that a project isn’t going as expected.
Project management communication skills for …
The
steering committee: Be transparent. Don’t sugarcoat or gloss over the fact
that the project is struggling and exactly how and why. Keep the update about
the facts and be explicit in the ask you have of the committee whether that be
to approve more funding for an extended timeline or deprioritize another
initiative on the team’s plate so they can focus on this project.
Also,
prepare your boss before sharing this bad news with the entire committee. You
need her to be your partner in the meeting, not taken by surprise along with
her peers.
The
project team: Let the team discuss solutions. This is a sensitive time
so it’s important to be a leader, not a dictator ordering everyone around with
no regard for their buy-in.
Scenario #3: Team morale is low
Symptoms
of low morale include vague task updates and calling into meetings late or
missing the meeting altogether. Maybe they’re overextended or are seeing issues
in the project’s objectives. No matter the root cause, your communication
skills can turn things around quicker than you think.
Project management communication skills for …
The
steering committee: An informal update is often best here. Your manager needs
to know about low morale and will want to know what you’re doing about it, but
likely a deep dive is typically not expected.
The
project team: Listen and act. Your team might be telling you what the
problem is already, maybe you’re not connecting the dots here. Or perhaps they
feel they won’t be heard if they do share. Either way, meet with each person
one-on-one and share what changes you’re making in response with the entire
team.
Follow
up is critical when morale is low. It’s not enough to just listen, you must
make changes based on the feedback shared in these one-on-ones. Gartner states,
“the most powerful message is one that is backed by action—the communicator
delivers what is promised.”
Scenario #4: Stakeholder engagement is down
While
low stakeholder engagement is similar to the situation of low team morale, the
root cause tends to be an intellectual one, as opposed to an emotional one.
While there are many reasons stakeholder engagement can be down, your
communication skills can come in handy, no matter the root cause.
*Note: Your
project stakeholders include anyone with a “stake” in the project’s outcome—so
not only executives but also your direct project team.
Project management communication skills for …
The
steering committee: Because this group requires the high-level overview, it’s
easy to either bombard or alienate them without realizing it. Evaluate if
you’re over-communicating with excessive details or perhaps too often. Or are
you under-reporting? A lack of interest can be indicative of a lack of info.
Another
aspect to consider here is whether you’ve gauged the social climate accurately.
As Gartner states, you need to “adjust your communication style to the maturity
level and culture of the organization.” Are all members of the steering
committee peers? Or a mix of subordinates and their managers? These aspects of
the social climate can impact how your message needs to be tailored.
The
project team: Ask. And don’t be afraid to share why you’re asking. It’s
likely your gut is telling you what the issue is, but it’s still important to
listen to your team and hear their point of view. Also, ask for ideas on how to
improve the situation. Are they feeling overwhelmed with ambiguity? Or are they
not seeing the benefits of their hard work? You need to know.
Above all, be empathetic
No
matter if the project going smoothly or if you’re running into issues, be
empathetic towards your team’s cultures conflict resolution preferences,
skillset, and the pressures they’re experiencing both in your project and in
their other job responsibilities.
Project management software can help
We
covered soft skills needed for effective communication, but how tasks are
assigned and tracked and the format of your project status reports are equally
important. This is where project management software can help!
PM
software can help standardize communication avenues and avoid confusion as to
where to go for project updates. The collaboration, file storage, and reporting
in most PM software tools can help:
·
✔ Standardize communication formats
·
✔ Centralize project updates via dashboards
·
✔ Improve communication across the team with @ mentions in tasks
·
✔ Store and manage project plans and documents
·
✔ Automate workflows and assignment of tasks and resources
Check out our Buyers Guide for an
overview of the features and tips when purchasing project management software.
Or if you prefer a more personal touch, give our software experts a call for a
free consultation on what software best suits your specific needs. Call 855-998-8505 and
reach a human immediately.
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