Communicating and Working with Stakeholders | Google Project Management Certificate

Google Career Certificates
5 Apr 202123:51

Summary

TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of team selection in project management, outlining the process of identifying roles, assessing skills, and considering team size and motivation. It introduces the concept of a RACI chart for defining responsibilities, and discusses stakeholder analysis, including categorizing and managing stakeholders effectively. The script also touches on the role of a project manager and the necessity of clear communication for project success.

Takeaways

  • 😀 Choosing the right team members is crucial for project success, as they are the ones executing the tasks.
  • 📝 A project manager should list roles needed for the team to complete the project tasks, assigning specific responsibilities to each role.
  • 🏗️ In construction projects, roles might include an architect, site manager, and construction workers, emphasizing the importance of matching roles with skills.
  • 👥 Team size should be determined based on project scale, with communication and workload balance considered to avoid delays.
  • 🧠 Skills are important, but also teachable; a positive attitude and attention to detail can compensate for initial skill gaps.
  • ⏰ Availability and motivation of team members are key factors in their selection, as they impact the project's progress and outcome.
  • 🤝 Stakeholder analysis is essential to understand who is impacted by the project and their level of interest and influence.
  • 📊 The power grid is a tool for categorizing stakeholders based on their interest and influence to determine their role in the project.
  • 📋 A RACI chart is a valuable tool for defining roles and responsibilities within a project, ensuring clarity and efficiency.
  • 🔑 There should be only one person accountable (A) for each task to prevent confusion and ensure clear ownership.
  • 💡 Effective communication with stakeholders, considering their level of interest and influence, is vital for project buy-in and success.

Q & A

  • Why is it important for a project manager to choose the right people for a team?

    -Choosing the right people is crucial because they are the ones who will perform the work on the project. The right team members ensure the project's success by aligning their skills and efforts towards achieving the project's goals.

  • What is the first step a project manager should take when identifying people resources for a project?

    -The first step is to make a list of roles needed on the team to complete each task. This list is based on the project needs and guides the decision-making process for team composition.

  • Can you explain the difference between a project sponsor and a project manager?

    -A project sponsor is accountable for the project's success and ensures it delivers value to the business, often providing funding and leadership. The project manager, on the other hand, is responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing the project's execution.

  • How does team size impact project communication and task completion?

    -A larger team can make communication more difficult, increasing the likelihood of missed details. Conversely, a team that is too small might not have enough members to complete all tasks, potentially causing delays.

  • What factors should a project manager consider when deciding on the right person for each role?

    -A project manager should consider the person's skills, availability, motivation, and how well they fit with the team's dynamics. Skills are important, but they can also be taught, so attitude and potential are also considered.

  • Why is it important to train a team member who lacks necessary skills?

    -Training is essential to ensure that the team member can perform their tasks effectively and not cause project delays. It also helps in developing the team's overall capacity and adaptability.

  • What is the purpose of a stakeholder analysis in a project?

    -Stakeholder analysis helps identify all parties affected by the project, understand their level of interest and influence, and determine the best way to involve them. It prevents surprises, builds partnerships, and ensures the right people are involved at the right time.

  • Can you describe the roles of customers and users in a project?

    -Customers are the ones who purchase or will benefit from the project's outcome, defining its requirements. Users are the end-users of the product or service delivered by the project, who will interact with it on a daily basis.

  • What is a RACI chart and how does it help in project management?

    -A RACI chart is a tool that defines roles and responsibilities within a project, using four categories: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It helps prevent confusion by clearly assigning tasks and ensuring efficient work distribution.

  • How can a project manager ensure that all stakeholders are informed and involved according to their level of interest and influence?

    -A project manager can use a power grid to assess the level of interest and influence of each stakeholder and then apply appropriate management techniques, such as closely partnering with key stakeholders, consulting with those with high influence, and keeping others informed or monitored.

  • What are some common issues that can arise from unclear roles and responsibilities in a project?

    -Unclear roles can lead to unbalanced workloads, confusion about hierarchy and decision-making, overlapping work, and excessive communication, which can cause information overload and missed important details.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Project Team Assembly and Resource Allocation

The paragraph discusses the critical process of assembling a project team and the considerations involved. It emphasizes the importance of project managers in identifying the right people with the necessary skills, availability, and motivation for various roles within a project. The text also highlights the potential challenges of team size, such as communication difficulties with large teams and the risk of having insufficient personnel for task completion with small teams. The paragraph suggests that while skills are essential, they can be taught, and attributes like a positive attitude and attention to detail are also valuable. It also touches on the reality that project managers may not always have full control over team member assignments, requiring them to work effectively with the given resources.

05:01

🏆 Understanding Project Roles and Stakeholders

This section delves into the roles and responsibilities within a project, starting with the project sponsor, who ensures the project delivers value and may provide funding. It then describes the roles of team members, customers, users, and stakeholders, distinguishing between primary and secondary stakeholders based on their direct or indirect interest in the project's success. The paragraph uses the example of Office Green, a commercial plant company, to illustrate how these roles apply in a real-world scenario, including the project manager's role in overseeing the project and the various departmental contributions to the project's success.

10:02

🤝 Stakeholder Analysis and Management Techniques

The paragraph introduces the concept of stakeholder analysis, a method to visually represent and manage the interests and influences of all parties involved in a project. It outlines the steps for conducting a stakeholder analysis, including listing stakeholders, assessing their level of interest and influence, and determining their ability to participate. The text explains the use of a power grid to categorize stakeholders based on these factors and suggests different management techniques for various groups of stakeholders, such as key players, influencers, interested parties, and those with lower influence and interest.

15:04

🗺️ Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Strategies

This section focuses on engaging stakeholders effectively by using a power grid to identify their level of importance and the appropriate communication strategy for each. It discusses the importance of keeping stakeholders informed based on their level of interest and influence, forming a steering committee with high influence and interest stakeholders, and tailoring communication frequency and content to the needs of different stakeholders. The paragraph also provides tips on achieving stakeholder buy-in and maintaining constant communication with highly influential stakeholders, while avoiding information overload for others.

20:06

📋 Utilizing RACI Charts for Clear Role Definition

The final paragraph introduces the RACI chart as a tool for defining roles and responsibilities within a project to ensure efficiency. It explains the four participation types in a RACI chart: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, and provides guidance on how to create a RACI chart by listing project roles and tasks, then assigning the appropriate RACI designation for each task. The paragraph also addresses potential issues that can arise from unclear roles, such as unbalanced workloads, unclear hierarchies, overlapping work, and excessive communication, and suggests that proactive RACI analysis can prevent or resolve these issues.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Project Manager

A project manager is an individual responsible for the overall initiation, planning, execution, and completion of a project. In the context of the video, the project manager is accountable for assembling the right team and ensuring that each team member is equipped with the necessary skills and resources. The script mentions that the project manager decides on team size and member roles, such as in the example of a home construction project where an architect and site manager are part of the team.

💡Team Size

Team size refers to the number of people required on a project team to accomplish the project's objectives. The video emphasizes the importance of getting the team size right for effective communication and task completion. It provides examples of varying team sizes, from small projects needing only a few individuals to larger projects at Google that might involve hundreds of team members.

💡Skills

Skills are the abilities and competencies that team members possess and apply to their tasks within a project. The script underlines the importance of the project manager ensuring that each team member has the right skills, but also notes that skills can be taught, implying that a positive attitude and attention to detail can compensate for initial skill gaps.

💡Availability

Availability pertains to the time and capacity a team member has to commit to a project. The video script discusses the need to consider each person's availability, using the example of a site manager who might be too occupied with another project to commit to a new one, thus affecting team selection and project planning.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the drive or willingness of team members to engage in and complete their assigned tasks. The script highlights motivation as a key ingredient for great work, suggesting that project managers should choose team members who are excited and feel motivated to contribute to the project's success.

💡Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals or groups with a vested interest in the project's success. The video explains that stakeholders can be primary or secondary, with primary stakeholders directly benefiting from the project and secondary stakeholders being indirectly impacted. Stakeholder analysis is presented as a tool to manage their interests and involvement effectively.

💡RACI Chart

A RACI chart is a tool used to define roles and responsibilities within a project, ensuring clarity and efficiency in task execution. The acronym stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, with each letter representing a different level of involvement in a task. The script provides an example of creating a RACI chart for a project, assigning roles to ensure that tasks are completed as planned.

💡SMART Goal

A SMART goal is a framework for setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The video uses the example of Office Green's project to illustrate a SMART goal, which is to provide office plants to top clients by the end of the year, emphasizing the importance of clear and achievable objectives for project success.

💡Communication

Communication is the exchange of information between project team members and stakeholders. The script discusses the importance of effective communication in large projects to prevent misunderstandings and ensure that all team members are informed. It also mentions the potential downside of excessive communication, which can lead to information overload.

💡Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder analysis is a process used to identify all stakeholders impacted by a project and assess their level of interest and influence. The video describes this process as a way to avoid surprises, build partnerships, and ensure the right people are involved at the right time, using a power grid to visualize and manage stakeholders' roles and importance.

💡Project Sponsor

A project sponsor is an individual who is accountable for the project and ensures that it delivers value to the business. The script mentions that the project sponsor, such as the director of product in the Office Green example, approves the project's budget and plays a vital leadership role throughout the project lifecycle.

💡Accountability

Accountability refers to the responsibility for the completion and success of a project or specific tasks within a project. The video emphasizes that each role within a project is accountable for certain tasks, and the project manager is accountable for the overall project. Accountability is also a key aspect of the RACI chart, where one person is designated as accountable to prevent confusion and ensure clear ownership.

Highlights

Project managers must carefully consider team composition to ensure project success.

Identifying the right people for a project team is a crucial task for project managers.

Project managers should make a list of roles needed to complete each task within the project lifecycle.

Each role in a project has specific accountabilities, similar to the project manager's overall responsibilities.

The size of the project team can vary greatly and must be determined based on project requirements.

Larger teams can face communication challenges, while smaller teams may lack the resources to complete tasks.

Skills are an important factor in selecting team members, but they can also be taught.

Project managers must consider each team member's availability and motivation level.

In some cases, team members may be assigned by other managers, requiring project managers to adapt.

Stakeholder analysis is essential for understanding the roles and interests of all project participants.

A power grid can be used to visually represent and prioritize stakeholders based on their influence and interest.

Managing stakeholders effectively involves different techniques based on their level of influence and interest.

A RACI chart is a valuable tool for defining roles and responsibilities within a project team.

The RACI chart includes four types of participation: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

Creating a RACI chart helps prevent role confusion and ensures clear ownership and direction for team members.

Unbalanced workloads, unclear hierarchies, and overlapping work can cause confusion within a project team.

Excessive communication can lead to information overload and missed important details.

A proactive RACI analysis can prevent or resolve issues related to role confusion and communication.

The Google Project Management Certificate offers a comprehensive learning experience and job search assistance.

Transcripts

play00:04

JUANNE: In order to decide who does what on a project,

play00:07

we have to consider and outline our needs.

play00:11

Choosing the right people for a team

play00:13

is a big task and one every project

play00:15

manager should take seriously.

play00:18

After all, these are the people who do the work on the project,

play00:21

so we want to make sure we have the right people lined up.

play00:25

When identifying people resources,

play00:28

we need to carefully consider the project needs

play00:31

and use that info to guide our decision making.

play00:34

First, a project manager will make a list of roles

play00:38

that they'll need on their team to complete each task.

play00:41

In the same way that a project manager

play00:43

is accountable for the overall initiation, planning,

play00:47

execution, and completion of a project,

play00:50

the person in each role is accountable for specific tasks

play00:54

within the project lifecycle.

play00:57

For example, a home construction project team

play01:00

might include roles on their lists

play01:02

like an architect, a site manager,

play01:05

and multiple construction workers.

play01:08

Once the tasks are clearly laid out,

play01:11

the project manager decides how many people

play01:14

they'll need on their team.

play01:16

This can vary greatly depending on the project's size.

play01:19

For small projects, the team may only need three or four people

play01:23

to complete the deliverables on time, and for larger projects,

play01:28

a team might include dozens.

play01:30

At Google, we sometimes have hundreds of Googlers

play01:33

working on the same project.

play01:35

Getting the team size right is important for a bunch

play01:38

of reasons.

play01:40

For example, when there's a lot of people on a project,

play01:43

communication sometimes becomes difficult.

play01:46

That makes it more likely for someone

play01:48

to miss important details.

play01:50

But if your team is too small, there

play01:53

might not be enough people to finish all the tasks.

play01:57

Once you know how many people you need on your team,

play02:00

you have to think about who does what.

play02:04

To decide on the right person for each role,

play02:06

a project manager needs to think carefully about skills.

play02:10

Makes sense, right?

play02:11

If you're managing the construction of a house,

play02:14

you want to know that the construction workers who

play02:16

are building the frame or installing the drywall

play02:19

have the skills needed to do it properly.

play02:22

It's on the project manager to ensure

play02:24

that everyone on the team has the right skills to do the job.

play02:29

But it's also important to remember

play02:31

that skills can be taught.

play02:33

If someone doesn't have a certain skill initially,

play02:36

they might still be a great fit for the team.

play02:39

Maybe this person brings a positive attitude and attention

play02:43

to detail, perfectly good reasons

play02:45

to have them on your team.

play02:48

Just keep in mind that, if a teammate doesn't

play02:50

have the necessary skills, it's important

play02:53

that they are trained in time, so not to cause project delays.

play02:58

When choosing teammates, a project manager

play03:01

also has to factor in each person's availability

play03:04

and whether they'll feel motivated to complete

play03:06

their assigned tasks.

play03:09

For example, you might know a fantastic site manager who'd

play03:12

make a great asset to the team.

play03:15

But if they're already staffed on another big project,

play03:17

they might not have the time to commit to yours.

play03:21

Or even if they do have the time,

play03:23

they may not feel like this project will give them

play03:26

the visibility they need for a promotion.

play03:29

Motivation is a key ingredient to great work,

play03:32

so it's a good idea to pick people who

play03:35

are excited to get involved.

play03:37

But, of course, we don't always get to choose our resources.

play03:41

Sometimes, another manager or team lead

play03:44

might just assign people to roles.

play03:47

When this happens, it's the project manager's challenge

play03:51

to deliver the best work with what we're given.

play03:54

Let's check in on our project at Office Green, where we're

play03:57

rolling out a new service.

play03:59

As a project manager, it's up to you

play04:02

to decide who you need on your team.

play04:05

You have to ask yourself questions

play04:07

on things like staff experience, availability,

play04:11

the workspace, team member workload on other projects,

play04:15

and more.

play04:17

For example, who on the team has office landscaping experience?

play04:22

Who's local to the city where the launch will happen?

play04:25

Who can be fully dedicated to this project for the next eight

play04:29

weeks?

play04:30

There's no exact formula for putting together

play04:33

the right team, which makes it a little tricky.

play04:37

Every situation is different and calls

play04:39

for a different set of skills, experience, and perspectives.

play04:44

It can be helpful to look deeper into each task on the project.

play04:49

Always ask yourself these key questions.

play04:52

How many people do I need on my team each step of the way?

play04:57

Which team members do I need and when?

play05:00

Are those experts already busy on other projects?

play05:04

Who makes the final decisions on project resources?

play05:08

[MUSIC PLAYING]

play05:12

To feel confident in your team, you

play05:15

need to know each person's role from the start.

play05:18

Clearly laying out the responsibilities for each role

play05:21

helps everyone know what project tasks they're accountable for.

play05:26

Odds are you can't complete this project on your own,

play05:30

even if you're the best project manager of all time, which

play05:34

we know you will be.

play05:36

Before we jump into the specific roles on a project,

play05:40

we want to call out that some roles aren't fixed.

play05:43

Sometimes team members need to adapt and take

play05:46

on more than one role at a time.

play05:49

This usually happens if the company is small

play05:51

or resources are limited.

play05:53

For example, at a small firm you might be the project manager,

play05:58

designer, and marketer.

play06:00

Whether they're fixed or not, we always

play06:03

have these project roles--

play06:05

project sponsors, team members, customers or users,

play06:11

stakeholders, and, of course, the project manager.

play06:15

Let's learn more about each of them.

play06:17

A project sponsor is the person who's

play06:20

accountable for the project and who

play06:22

ensures the project delivers the agreed

play06:24

upon value to the business.

play06:25

They play a vital leadership role throughout the process.

play06:29

Sometimes they fund the project.

play06:32

The sponsor will probably communicate directly

play06:35

with managers and key stakeholders.

play06:38

Team members are the heart of the operation.

play06:41

They are the people doing the day to day work

play06:43

and making the project happen.

play06:45

The customers are the people who will get some sort of value

play06:48

from a successfully landed project.

play06:51

Since the project aims to deliver something

play06:53

useful to the customers, the customer's needs

play06:56

usually define the project's requirements.

play06:59

You can think of them as the buyers of the project.

play07:03

In some situations, we have both customers and users

play07:07

for a project, and we need to differentiate between the two.

play07:11

Simply put, users are the people that ultimately use the product

play07:16

that your project will produce.

play07:18

To make the distinction nice and clear for you, think of it

play07:21

this way.

play07:23

A software company has created a type of software

play07:25

that allows teams to communicate with each other

play07:29

in an instant message application.

play07:31

The software is purchased by corporation ABC.

play07:35

They are the customer.

play07:37

But the users are everyone within corporation ABC

play07:41

that will be using the instant message application every day.

play07:46

Stakeholders are anyone involved in the project, those

play07:51

who have a vested interest in the project's success.

play07:54

Primary stakeholders are people who

play07:55

expect to benefit directly from the project's completion,

play07:59

while secondary stakeholders play an intermediary role

play08:03

and are directly impacted by the project.

play08:06

Secondary stakeholders may be contractors or members

play08:10

of a partner organization, but both primary and secondary

play08:15

stakeholders help project managers define project goals

play08:18

and outcomes.

play08:20

And finally, we can't forget the project manager,

play08:23

the person who plans, organizes, and oversees the whole project.

play08:28

That's you.

play08:30

Let's now plug these roles into our Office Green project.

play08:34

Recall that Office Green is a commercial plant company that

play08:37

does interior landscaping and plant

play08:40

design for offices and other commercial businesses.

play08:44

We're launching our new plant service.

play08:46

So if you recall, our SMART goal--

play08:48

which must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable,

play08:53

Relevant, and Time Bound--

play08:55

is to roll out a new service to provide

play08:58

office plants to top clients by the end of the year.

play09:02

There's a lot to do when launching a new service.

play09:05

Plants need to be ordered and delivered every few days,

play09:09

new clients will need to be familiarized

play09:12

with Office Green and its procedures,

play09:15

and there will be ongoing updates to the website and app.

play09:18

For Office Green's launch, our project sponsor

play09:21

is the director of product.

play09:23

They approve the project's budget

play09:25

and ensure that everything stays aligned to the vision, which

play09:29

in this case is that inexpensive and easy to maintain

play09:32

live plants are provided in order to improve the employee

play09:36

work environments.

play09:38

The team's made up of people from across departments,

play09:42

and they're all working together to support the project.

play09:45

For example, the marketing department

play09:47

has assigned some people to the team,

play09:49

because they'll need to tell customers

play09:51

about this new service.

play09:54

On this project, the landscape designer

play09:56

is also the website designer.

play09:59

This is an example of where a team member plays

play10:02

more than one role.

play10:03

And you, you're the project manager.

play10:06

You're the one managing the information, people,

play10:10

and schedule to carry this project

play10:12

to a successful landing.

play10:14

Our customers for this project are

play10:16

buyers at offices who might be interested in Office Green

play10:20

services, such as office managers or procurement teams.

play10:26

However, the users are the employees

play10:29

who work at the offices, because they're

play10:31

the ones who enjoy the plants.

play10:34

And finally, all of these people are project stakeholders.

play10:39

Secondary stakeholders won't play active roles

play10:42

throughout all phases of the project,

play10:45

but still need to be informed as they are a component of what

play10:48

the project needs to succeed.

play10:50

For example, these include Office Green's investors

play10:54

who are helping to fund the new service launch,

play10:57

and the Office Green receptionists

play10:59

who will answer a lot of customer questions

play11:02

about the new service once it's launched.

play11:04

[MUSIC PLAYING]

play11:09

Primary stakeholders are people who will benefit directly

play11:12

from the project's success, while secondary stakeholders

play11:16

are indirectly impacted by the project's success.

play11:19

Having all these different people involved on a project

play11:22

can get confusing, and that's where stakeholder analysis

play11:26

comes in handy.

play11:28

This is a visual representation of all the stakeholders.

play11:32

It helps you avoid surprises, build necessary partnerships,

play11:36

and ensure you're involving the right people at the right time.

play11:41

When done well, your stakeholder analysis

play11:44

helps you see all the opportunities for success

play11:47

and the potential risks.

play11:49

It illustrates which stakeholders

play11:51

are taking on which responsibilities,

play11:54

and it can help you include the right people

play11:57

in important conversations, which

play12:00

is key to getting the support you

play12:01

need throughout the project.

play12:05

There are three key steps to kicking off

play12:07

a stakeholder analysis.

play12:09

First, make a list of all the stakeholders

play12:12

that the project impacts.

play12:13

Then determine the level of interest and influence

play12:17

for each stakeholder.

play12:18

And finally, assess their ability to participate and find

play12:22

ways to involve them.

play12:24

In the second step, we talk about influence and interests.

play12:28

What do those terms mean here?

play12:31

Influence measures how much power a stakeholder has

play12:35

and how much the stakeholder's actions affect the project

play12:39

outcome.

play12:40

In our Office Green example, the director

play12:43

of product who first initiated the project

play12:45

and oversees new products and services

play12:48

has a huge amount of influence, while the vendor providing

play12:52

the greenery has less influence.

play12:56

Interest is pretty much what it sounds like.

play12:59

How much are the needs of the stakeholder

play13:01

affected by project operations and outcomes?

play13:04

For example, Office Green's human resources department

play13:08

might not have as much interest in the product launch

play13:11

as the sales department does.

play13:13

The power grid is a super useful two by two

play13:16

grid used for conducting a stakeholder analysis.

play13:21

We use the power grid to assign each stakeholder's level

play13:24

of importance to the project, measuring their interest

play13:27

and influence.

play13:28

The position of the stakeholder on the grid

play13:31

usually determines their active role in the project.

play13:35

The higher the interest and influence, the more important

play13:38

the stakeholder is to the project's success.

play13:41

Without their support, it's unlikely

play13:44

that the project will successfully land.

play13:47

These people are our key stakeholders.

play13:52

Now that you have a better idea of each stakeholder's position

play13:55

on the team, you can plan how to best manage everyone.

play14:00

There are four different techniques

play14:01

you can use for managing stakeholders.

play14:03

The first group of stakeholders are the key players

play14:06

or key stakeholders.

play14:08

You find these people in the top right corner of the grid.

play14:13

To best manage key stakeholders, you

play14:15

want to closely partner with them

play14:17

to reach the desired outcomes.

play14:20

Of course, not everyone's a key stakeholder.

play14:24

But each role, even the non-key stakeholder,

play14:27

gets a spot on the grid.

play14:30

You find stakeholders with higher influence

play14:32

but lower interest in the top left corner of the grid.

play14:37

To manage these stakeholders, you want to consult with them

play14:41

and meet their needs.

play14:43

Their opinions and input are important to the project.

play14:47

The director of product has high influence,

play14:50

but may not be vested into day to day activities,

play14:53

and therefore will have a lower interest.

play14:57

Stakeholders with lower influence but high interests

play15:01

are in the right bottom corner of the grid.

play15:03

For these stakeholders, you want to show consideration for them

play15:07

by keeping them up to date on the project.

play15:10

It's unlikely they'll need a say what's going on,

play15:13

but keeping them informed is important.

play15:16

For example, the customer success team

play15:18

may have lower influence but high interest,

play15:21

since they'll work directly with clients on the new product.

play15:24

Last up, we have stakeholders with low influence

play15:28

and low interest.

play15:30

You'll find these in the bottom left corner.

play15:32

They're the least important of the stakeholders,

play15:35

but this doesn't mean that they don't matter.

play15:38

It might just be that, for this particular project,

play15:41

they aren't as integral.

play15:44

So for this project, you mainly want to monitor them,

play15:47

keeping them in the know.

play15:48

Creating a grid like this is an effective way

play15:52

to track who should be communicated with and when.

play15:56

This grid here is an example of how

play15:58

that might play out, depending on the project

play16:01

and the stakeholders.

play16:02

You may also want to create a steering committee made up

play16:05

of high influence and high interest stakeholders.

play16:09

These people will be the most senior decision making

play16:12

body on any project.

play16:14

They have the authority to make changes to budget

play16:17

and approve updates to timeline or scope.

play16:20

The project manager isn't a member of the committee,

play16:23

but they're responsible for bringing the right project

play16:25

information to the steering committee

play16:28

so that decisions can be quickly made.

play16:31

How you engage your stakeholders from this point on

play16:34

depends on your particular situation.

play16:37

There are different ways to involve each stakeholder,

play16:39

and you have to be strategic to get helpful and relevant input

play16:43

from the right people at the right time.

play16:46

You want to meet with some stakeholders every single day,

play16:49

and others you just send periodic updates to.

play16:53

Stakeholder buy-in is the process

play16:55

of involving these people in decision making

play16:57

to hopefully reach a broader consensus on the organization's

play17:01

future.

play17:02

To get stakeholders to buy in on the project,

play17:05

you'll have to pay particular attention to your high impact

play17:08

stakeholders and make sure they feel looped in.

play17:11

You want to explain to them how the project will help them

play17:14

achieve their goals, and you'll want to have their support

play17:18

later on if any issues come up.

play17:21

Here are some important things to keep

play17:23

in mind when communicating with stakeholders.

play17:26

If you have one main stakeholder,

play17:28

that stakeholder is likely to be highly influential

play17:31

and needs constant communication.

play17:34

But if you are on a larger project

play17:36

with numerous stakeholders, they won't be quite as involved

play17:39

in the day to day tasks.

play17:41

For stakeholders who need time to make decisions

play17:44

about the project, overcommunicate early on.

play17:48

For example, hold frequent meetings

play17:51

and send daily end of day progress emails.

play17:54

This way, they have enough time to weigh the options

play17:57

and make decisions.

play18:00

Think about the level of project details each stakeholder needs.

play18:05

You don't want to spend time diving

play18:07

deep with stakeholders that just need a project summary.

play18:10

For example, the facilities team that delivers the product

play18:14

doesn't need daily updates on vendor pricing or website

play18:18

issues.

play18:19

On the flip side, do spend time updating key members that

play18:23

need frequent updates.

play18:25

The sales team will need to know pricing and availability

play18:29

changes, so a weekly check in might make sense here.

play18:32

[MUSIC PLAYING]

play18:37

In the last video, we saw how a stakeholder analysis shows us

play18:41

how to best work with stakeholders

play18:44

and when to communicate with all the different people involved

play18:47

in the project.

play18:48

In this video, we're going to check out another handy tool

play18:52

called a RACI chart.

play18:55

A RACI chart helps to define roles and responsibilities

play18:58

for individuals or teams to ensure

play19:01

work gets done efficiently.

play19:04

It creates clear roles and gives direction for each team member.

play19:08

There are four types of participation

play19:10

included in a RACI chart.

play19:12

These are Responsible, Accountable, Consulted,

play19:16

and Informed.

play19:18

Let's take a look at each.

play19:21

Responsible refers to those doing the work

play19:23

to complete the task.

play19:26

Accountable refers to those making sure the work gets done.

play19:30

Consulted includes those giving feedback, like subject matter

play19:35

experts or decision makers.

play19:37

And lastly we have informed, which

play19:40

includes those just needing to know the final decisions

play19:44

or that a task is complete.

play19:46

Here's an image of how this breaks down in a chart form.

play19:50

When creating your RACI chart, you'll

play19:53

need to write down each task or deliverable for your project,

play19:56

and then assign it the appropriate role

play19:58

for each stakeholder.

play20:01

To do this, first, think about who's involved in the project.

play20:06

Write the roles or people's name in a row

play20:09

across the top of your chart.

play20:11

Pro tip, use roles rather than names

play20:14

if some people might take on more than one role.

play20:18

Next, write down the tasks or deliverables

play20:21

in a column on the left.

play20:24

Try not to get too specific here.

play20:26

You want the chart to be simple and easy to read.

play20:30

After that, go through each task and deliverable

play20:34

and ask, who's responsible for doing this?

play20:37

Who's accountable if it doesn't get done?

play20:40

Who will have strong opinions to add, and therefore

play20:44

should be consulted about how this gets done?

play20:47

And who needs to be informed of the progress or decisions made

play20:51

about this?

play20:53

Assign the letters R, A, C, and I based on your answers.

play21:01

For example, as a project manager

play21:03

on Office Green's new service launch, one of your tasks

play21:07

is to create different price points for different packages

play21:11

and delivery frequencies.

play21:13

The head of finance will be accountable,

play21:15

because the project needs to stay in budget and make money.

play21:19

But it's the financial analyst who's responsible

play21:23

if they're the person doing the work in determining

play21:26

optimal pricing.

play21:28

The director of product will be consulted on the matter,

play21:32

as they oversee the product offerings.

play21:35

And finally, team members, like those on the sales team,

play21:39

need to be informed of the final pricing.

play21:43

It's possible there are several roles that

play21:45

fall into the informed and consulted categories.

play21:51

One thing that will always remain constant

play21:54

is there will never be more than one person designated

play21:57

as accountable.

play21:59

This prevents confusion, because having one person accountable

play22:02

clearly defines ownership.

play22:06

However, the same person that is accountable

play22:09

may also be responsible.

play22:11

There are several other factors that can cause role confusion.

play22:15

For example, there might be unbalanced workloads,

play22:19

which means some people might be doing more work or less work

play22:23

than others on the team.

play22:26

Or there could be an unclear hierarchy, when people aren't

play22:29

sure who to seek help from if a task doesn't get done,

play22:34

or unclear ownership of decisions

play22:37

where people aren't sure who makes

play22:39

the final call on a project.

play22:41

Another issue could be overlapping work.

play22:45

This is when teams or individuals feel that they're

play22:48

responsible for the same work.

play22:51

When this happens, things can get confusing fast,

play22:55

and the same goes for excessive communication.

play22:59

While communication is usually a good thing,

play23:02

too much communication can actually

play23:04

make things more complicated.

play23:07

It can cause information overload, where people don't

play23:10

know what to pay attention to, so they

play23:12

miss something important.

play23:15

Wow, there's a lot of things that might cause confusion.

play23:19

But all these issues can be resolved or even prevented

play23:22

with a RACI analysis.

play23:25

Be proactive and do this work upfront,

play23:28

and you'll help ensure the success of your project.

play23:31

ROWENA: Congratulations on finishing this video

play23:33

in the Google Project Management Certificate.

play23:36

Access the full learning experience, including

play23:38

job search help, and start to earn your official certificate

play23:42

by clicking on the icon.

play23:44

To view the next course in this video,

play23:46

click here, and subscribe to our channel

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Etiquetas Relacionadas
Project ManagementTeam BuildingStakeholder AnalysisRole AssignmentRACI ChartGoogle CertificateLeadership SkillsCommunication StrategyTask DelegationProject PlanningResource Allocation
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