Ch 6 Flashcards
List three reasons why understanding stakeholders is important to successful project management.
- Set clear direction for further project planning, negotiating and execution.
- Make and facilitate necessary decisions
- Develop a shared sense of risk
What is the difference between an internal and external stakeholder?
- Internal Stakeholder: Individuals who reside inside the company as board members, executives, managers, employees, and trade unions and who benefit directly from their contributions to the growth of the company.
- External Stakeholder: stakeholders are entities not within a business itself but who care about or are affected by its performance
Which three criteria should you consider when prioritizing stakeholders?
- Power: ability to get others to do something
- Legitimacy: perception that their actions are appropriate 3. Urgency: time sensitivity and legitimacy of claim
When should relationship building between the project manager/other core team members and important stakeholders occur?
Early on in the project, generally when they are in the process of planning a project.
What are some ways to build relationships within the core team?
Share individual motives
Encourage open communication
Use shared learning
Regularly celebrate success
Share enjoyment of the project
Use appropriate decision-making and problem solving
What are some ways to build relationships with key stakeholders?
Delivering on all promises
Always providing fair treatment
Creating a sense of pride by association
Even helping the stakeholder.
Treating stakeholders as partners
Fostering trust and respect
Using core team relationship building activities
What are some important functions of commu-nication from stakeholders?
Authorize work
Determine requirements
Uncover and resolve issues
Receive feedback
What are some important functions of commu-nication to stakeholders?
To make good decisions by understanding options and risks
Assure them of adequate understanding and project progress
Enable them to fully commit to the project
Be ready to accept project deliverables
In order to manage stakeholders’ expectations, a project manager needs to understand the stakeholders’ assumptions. Which document(s) can help with this?
The project charter, stakeholder register, stakeholder assessment matrix, and the requirements matrix may help understand stakeholders’ assumptions.
What is the difference between “push” and “pull” methods of communication? Give examples of each.
“Push” methods require that communications be sent or pushed (e.g.: e-mail)
“Pull” methods require that communications be posted either on paper or in electronic form and interested stakeholders need to take initiative to receive communication (e.g.: blog or bulletin boards)
What are three types of project communications timing schedules?
- Project life cycle with communications at the end of each major stage
- Project progress is reported at regularly scheduled meetings (more formal organizational structure)
- As needed basis (can be routine, tied to project life cycle, or as needed)
What six columns should a communications matrix contain?
Stakeholder
Learn From
Share With
Timing
Method
Owner
Why is it so important to capture lessons learned in a knowledge database?
Increases knowledge and the successful use and reapplication of it.
List the items that go into a project team meeting agenda and tell the purpose of each.
At top:
- Meeting logistics: tells the meeting invitees the date, time and place
- Meeting purpose: states reason in one sentence
First Column:
- Topics
- Review: allows invitees to decide how to utilize their time and provides them with information to decide if the meeting will serve them in any way; the topics that will be covered are listed; add/delete items
- Major topics: (1, 2, 3); listed in order they will be covered
- Meeting summary: summarizes major decisions that were made as well as work assignments that were distributed; helps people remember what they agreed to
- Meeting evaluation: evaluate the meeting
Second Column:
- Person: tells who will be doing that part of the meeting; people more likely to be prepared and stakeholders can reach out to people in advance for their input
- Time: the length of each portion of the agenda; people more likely to come if they know it will end on time
Describe an Agile “stand-up” meeting.
An agile stand up meeting is a short 15 minute or less meeting that is often held at the start of each day without the comforts of chairs or coffee. Each project team member states what they accomplished the previous day, what they plan to accomplish this day, and what obstacles may challenge them
