1. Building Project Trust
Making Life Easy On You And Your Stakeholders
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

2. A Quick Word About Stakeholders
May be internal or external
Represented by Sponsor and project team
May effectively be extended project team members
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

3. Life Is Full of Easy Projects
© 2007 Ron Sklaver
Credit: Lou Russell

4. Projects Aren’t Easy Projects require…
Hard work, team work, diplomacy, etc
A Napoleon with a velvet covered sledge hammer
Leadership
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

5. Hmmm…
Leadership thrives on trust
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

6. Leaders Are Easy to Spot
They’re the people out in front
Defining goals
Taking the heat
Setting – rather than accepting – stakeholder expectations
Rallying and supporting the troops
Embracing the tough projects
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

7. How Dey Do Dat? Leaders are able to lead because they build trust
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

8. So What…? Trust is critical to success because…
No one works well in an environment where they don’t trust others…
…or where others don’t trust them
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

9. The Dirty Little Secret About Trust
Trust is about politics
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

10. Trust and Politics Politics is about power and influence
Power and influence stem from confidence
In yourself
From others
Confidence IS trust
Trust is a coin of political capital
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

11. Trust is a Means to an End
Projects are executed by people
People will look to you for direction and leadership once they trust you
Which means…
…trust lets you get things done…
And who doesn’t want to manage “your way”?
your way
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

12. This Project Has No Trust
Your Stakeholder
You
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

13. Got Trust? You can tell when you need more trust
Stakeholders and the team don’t play nice in the sandbox
Stakeholders believes project quality is low when it really isn’t
Communication isn’t working and stakeholders feel cut off
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

14. How You Can Build Trust All people have certain desires
Particularly stakeholders with limited visibility
Address these desires and build trust
Desire for respect
Desire to be included in doing a good job
Desire to know what’s going on
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

15. Goals for Today Build trust with our stakeholders by…
Respecting respect
Desire for respect
Managing perceptions of inclusion
Desire: to be included in doing a good job
Respecting the need to know what they need to know
Desire: to know what’s going on
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

16. Playing Nice in the Sandbox
You can’t trust whom you don’t respect
It takes time to build respect and trust
Time is in short supply
Therefore, lay the ground rules for respect early
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

17. How? Provide the team and your Sponsor with Rules of Engagement
Shared values and norms of behavior
Statement of how team wishes to be perceived
Standards to which they agree to be accountable
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

18. Hmmm… Why the Sponsor too?
Because that puts skin in the game for your “non-team” stakeholders
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

19. Rules of Engagement Broadly applicable
At organizational level (ie: interdepartmental)
On long-term projects or programs
On shorter projects
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

20. Rules of Engagement Fall into four broad categories
How we feel about the organization
How we feel about the project
How we act toward each other
How we act toward our stakeholders
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

21. Examples These slides and your handouts are adapted from
ADP National Account Services
Arthur Andersen Global Technology Organization
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

22. Rules of Engagement Preamble
{Organization’s} Rules of Engagement describe the norms each team member should exhibit and expect when collaborating with each other. The Program or Project Manager will review the ROE with {the team and Sponsor} at the {kickoff}. All team members should understand their performance is being measured against these standards.
- ADP National Account Services
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

23. Examples How we feel about the organization
We are committed to excellence
We celebrate our successes
We learn from our experiences
We regularly review how we’re doing in applying these principles
We focus on {over riding strategic goal}
Notice this gets you out of “just the project” mode
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

24. Examples How we feel about the project we’re undertaking
We maintain a positive outlook toward our goals
We support the purpose of the initiative when engaging fellow associates on or off the team
We are ambassadors of change
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

25. Examples How we act toward each other
We stay accountable and responsive to each other and communicate challenges
Our communication is open, honest, timely and fact based
We are prepared and engaged in meetings
Everyone has the responsibility to keep meetings on topic
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

26. Examples How we act toward each other
We are committed to resolving conflict creatively and in a timely manner
We listen to and respect each other’s ideas and opinions
And keep our mouths shut until the idea is expressed
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

27. Examples How we act toward each other
We hold confidences within the family
We assume the best of each other
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

28. Examples How we act toward other stakeholders
Some of us represent certain stakeholders
If we represent them, we communicate back to them
Not just “status”; but also distributing deliverables and soliciting input
We involve appropriate stakeholders in decisions
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

29. Examples How we act toward other stakeholders
We share management of expectations, and ownership of project issues and their impacts
We support our business partners
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

30. Examples How we act toward other stakeholders
We remember an engaged stakeholder becomes a satisfied long-term partner
We recognize the team’s long term success is tied to the overall satisfaction of our stakeholders
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

31. Goals for Today Build trust with our stakeholders by…
Respecting respect
Managing perceptions of inclusion
Respecting the need to know what they need to know
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

32. Inclusion is a Good Thing
Including people drives positive perceptions
They don’t have to agree with the decision…
…They have to be asked
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

33. For Example
If you do a high quality job but never asked the stakeholders what they wanted most…
Will it be perceived as a high quality job?
If it’s not perceived as a high quality job…
Was it?
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

34. A Truism Perception is reality Ergo… Include your stakeholders…
…and deliver positive perceptions
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

35. How Can I Include Them Ask them about their priorities
Their priorities drive their expectations
Which drive their perceptions
Provide a menu of priorities to choose from
14 suggestions on handout (from ADP & AATS)
Pick three that matter most
Take check points during the project to see how well you’re addressing those priorities
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

36. Some Quick Examples Knowledge Transfer Anticipation
The team provides coaching as applicable to help the customer/business identify, understand and leverage best practices
Anticipation
The team provides value-adding suggestions by thinking ahead of the present situation
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

37. Some Quick Examples Schedule Control Cost Control
Events/deliveries meet the dates that are currently accepted by all parties.
Cost Control
Expenditures are agreed to before the fact and stay within the budget.
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

38. Goals for Today Build trust with our stakeholders by…
Respecting respect
Managing perceptions of inclusion
Respecting the need to know what they need to know
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

39. Why This Matters Remember trust is the coin of political capital?
Hitting the wrong audience…
…or the right audience with the wrong message…
Wastes Your Coin
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

40. Think About Your Audience
People who should receive a message aren’t necessarily the people who do receive the message
Aren’t necessarily the people you target
Aren’t necessarily the people open to it
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

41. And…
People who do receive it aren’t necessarily the people who should receive it
Aren’t necessarily the people you target
Aren’t necessarily going to be supportive
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

42. So… Hit all who should receive it
And
Minimize touching those who shouldn’t
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

43. Communicating as a Leader
Leaders communicate vision
Strategic leadership – “Where are we going”
Imparts confidence that you understand
Why the project matters
How the pieces fit together
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

44. Communicating as a Leader
Leaders provide direction
Tactical leadership – “Do this to get there”
Imparts confidence that you understand
How we’re going to get it done
How it’s going to impact me
Building trust with your stakeholders requires both
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

45. This Can Be a Big Deal
PM’s often need to get people to do what they don’t want/have time to do
SME’s aren’t dedicated resources
Stakeholders refuse to engage
Sponsor won’t step up
Organizational leadership won’t exhibit support
Users won’t adapt/adopt
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

46. Who(m) to Touch People have varying degrees of interest and power
Understanding who cares and who carries a big stick tells you who must trust you
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

47. Who’s Going to Want to Know
Manage Closely
Keep Satisfied
Power
Keep Informed
Monitor
Interest
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

48. Goals for Today Build trust with our stakeholders by…
Respecting respect
Managing perceptions of inclusion
Respecting the need to know what they need to know
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

49. Summary Every successful project needs leadership
Leadership thrives on trust
Trust is established in many, many ways
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

50. Summary We looked at ways to build trust in three areas
Set and uphold norms of behavior
Engage your stakeholders for input
Communicate the right message to the right people
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

51. Summary
Trust lets you get things done…
your way!
© 2007 Ron Sklaver

52. Questions
© 2007 Ron Sklaver