Today, for all projects that represent a significant investment of resources and organizational energy, and certainly for all projects that are important to the business strategically, the project manager must give executive management visibility into the project.
The old standard monthly status report does not really provide any true transparency into the project. It provides indicators and data but often not real meaning and insight into whether the project is healthy in every sense and on track to achieve its business goals. It’s like opening a small window and letting bits of information show through to the world outside the project. Transparency, on the other hand, is like having glass walls so that the true state of the project can be seen by the world.
Transparency into a critical, strategic project means giving meaningful yet concise information about the project, and especially answers to the questions that executives would ask if they came to the project manager’s door to find out how the project is “really doing”. Transparency means taking the initiative to give senior management the answers to those questions before they come to your door.
Giving senior management the information they need about a project requires balance. Executives want bottom-line information, not lots of details. But they need enough information to be able to judge the key success factors for the project:
- Are the business goals understood by the PM and the team?
- Does the team have a plan and is it a good, doable plan?
- Have critical risks been identified and are they being mitigated?
- Is the schedule realistic?
- Are resources been used/spent wisely?
- Is the team engaged and committed to a successful result?
- And, finally, does the project need more executive involvement or intervention?
I think the need for transparency is beginning to be better understood. But I don’t think there is a simple formula for exactly how to do it yet. It depends on the project, the culture, the players involved, and the maturity of the organization from a project management perspective.
The best suggestion I can give to PMs is to think about what senior management needs to know (such as the answers to the above questions) and try to give it to them concisely but meaningfully. And remember to let your personal touch and leadership skills show through in the process.
Project Success Tip: Take the initiative to give senior management information and insights into your project at least monthly and more often if project dynamics justify it.
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