You're dealing with program delays and stakeholders. How do you keep their expectations in check?

Timely sharing of information, transparency and informing the genuine and justified reasons is the key. Apart form this, a proper action plan with revised deliverables also helps.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate - "bad news doesn't get better with age" - delays are expected and even anticipated, but "sugar coating" the situation and avoiding the difficult conversations lead to distrust, resentment and displays a lack of professionalism.

Building strong relationships with stakeholders is crucial in understanding their perspectives on issues like delays and shaping our communication accordingly. A positive relationship builds confidence in our capabilities, fostering trust and aligning everyone towards the program's goals and success. Once established, maintaining this relationship requires clear, open, and transparent communication. Presenting our mitigation plan and approach to address delays reassures stakeholders of the program's eventual success. This proactive approach ensures stakeholders stay informed and supportive throughout the program's lifecycle, effectively managing their expectations.

Assessing the current reality of a program is crucial in managing delays. Start by evaluating the program's current state, including scope, resources, timelines, and obstacles. Identify the root causes of the delay. Was it due to resource shortage, unforeseen obstacles, or scope misjudgment? Transparency is key when dealing with delays. Communicate the current state to stakeholders, provide context, and explain the impact of the delay on the program. Set realistic expectations based on your assessment. Show stakeholders that you're proactively working to prevent future issues.

To manage program delays and keep stakeholder expectations in check, I would maintain transparent and proactive communication. Regular updates on progress, challenges, and revised timelines help build trust and keep stakeholders informed. By providing detailed explanations of the delays and outlining steps being taken to mitigate them, I can reassure stakeholders of our commitment to the project's success. Offering realistic new deadlines and demonstrating a clear action plan ensures that expectations are managed and confidence in the project is maintained.

Being a Procurement Manager, I am the main stakeholder of my suppliers. One of the first statement for the relationship with them is asking to be promptly informed of every problem that could impact the activities. It is better to work together on a recovery plan than to be informed only when it is too late.

One thing I have found myself doing is to communicate early. No one likes surprises at the nth minute When there is a problem most of us go into problem solving mode. Yes, it’s great and many times we are able to resolve early. But what happens when need more time and resources to solve the problem? I have seen good reception, and appreciation on transparent communications. When there is a problem - 1/ communicate, 2/ you fix the problem quickly - communicate, and 3/ you need more time to fix the problem - you communicate! In 2/ and 3/ you are also providing thought leadership where you are providing insight into the problem and the solution (or possible solution)

In my opinion, engaging with stakeholders as soon as you identify a delay is crucial. The longer you wait, the more room there is for rumors and uncertainty to grow, which can end up being more damaging than the delay itself. I believe in being upfront and transparent. As soon as I know there’s an issue, I reach out to stakeholders, explain the situation clearly, and lay out the steps we’re taking to address it. Regular updates from that point on help maintain their confidence and show that we’re on top of things. It’s all about keeping everyone in the loop and managing expectations from the get-go.

Promptly engaging with stakeholders upon identifying a delay is crucial to maintaining transparency and trust. Delayed communication can breed rumors and uncertainty, potentially overshadowing the actual delay. It's essential to promptly provide stakeholders with a detailed explanation of the situation, including the causes and planned solutions. Consistent updates reassure stakeholders of your proactive management and prevent them from feeling uninformed. This approach not only fosters open communication but also demonstrates your commitment to addressing challenges swiftly and responsibly, thereby preserving confidence in the project's progress and outcomes.

It's imperative to clearly communicate the ramifications of the delay on the program's deliverables, budget, and timeline. Stakeholders must grasp how these adjustments will impact overarching objectives and what adaptations may be necessary moving forward. Providing a comprehensive analysis of the delay's implications encourages stakeholders to respond thoughtfully and with a clear understanding of the situation. This transparency fosters constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, ensuring that decisions made are informed by a holistic view of the project's dynamics and goals.

Many team members believe that impact analysis is time consuming. Therefore, they try to continue working while waiting problems evolve and hopefully get solved. But, on the contrary, a dedicated impact analysis forces the team to evaluate all the aspects of the problem and usually helps finding possible recovery actions.

Positive communication to stakeholders about the delay is the key that open hidden truth in any organization. Stakeholders needs to know any impact whether negative or positive to be communicated. Once communicated, they are likely to feel confident and comfortable. This can foster and develop relationships. Otherwise without communicating the change , the feeling of stakeholders is likely cultivating mistrust and resentment.

Focus on Solutions: Present a plan to address the delays. Outline steps being taken to get back on track and any adjustments to the timeline. Highlight Successes: Share positive progress and milestones that have been achieved. This helps maintain confidence in the program's overall trajectory.

When addressing program delays with stakeholders, it's essential to pair discussions of challenges with proactive solutions. This approach signifies a commitment to not just identifying issues but actively seeking ways to resolve them. Presenting potential strategies, such as reallocating resources, adjusting scope, or revising schedules, demonstrates a proactive stance in overcoming obstacles. By offering concrete solutions, you alleviate stakeholder concerns and encourage a collaborative effort in mitigating delays. This approach fosters a sense of partnership and mutual accountability, ensuring that the team and stakeholders work together to navigate challenges effectively and maintain progress towards project goals.

We need to understand here that most of the time stakeholders expectations are market or competition driven. we need to show them the gravity and rationale of each task as particular feature request will take X time , Y no of resources , cost and all risk involved. If they have clear picture , They will able to take decision wisely and in planned way.

If I had to summarize my top three tips, they would be: 1. Communicate 2. Communicate 3. Communicate …in exactly that order. 😉 Bottom line… Communication is key and simply cannot be emphasized enough. Whether it’s addressing program delays with shareholders or the fact that your DoorDash delivery is going to be delayed by 20 min due to traffic, it all comes down to communication. Delays are inevitable; they’re a fact of life. And we all know that “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” But no one enjoys feeling like they are being left in the dark. So when those delays happen, address them head on and address them early. Because everyone appreciates honesty and transparency.

Be proactive, insightful and able to anticipate delays before they occur. Be an active listener to your team as they are the fingers on the pulse. Be guided by their expertise. Communicate current state, adjustments, and a reasonable timeline to achieve the program objectives. Stakeholders will have more confidence in a strong team. Let your team shine!

Adjust Scope if Necessary: Discuss potential scope adjustments to prioritize critical elements and ensure key deliverables are met within the new timeline. Document Everything: Keep thorough documentation of all communications and changes. This ensures transparency and provides a reference for future discussions. Stay Positive and Professional: Maintain a positive and professional demeanor. Demonstrate commitment to resolving issues and achieving the program's goals.