5 Principles of Effective Project Stakeholder Communication  

Wednesday 16th October 2024

Effective Stakeholder Communication is a critical component of successful Project Management, ensuring all parties involved are informed, aligned and engaged throughout the Delivery Lifecycle. The below characterisitics represent the principles which guide our approach to communicating with Stakeholders.

1.    Clarity & Honesty – Messages shared with Stakeholders should be simple, easy-to-understand and unambigeous. The use of technical jargon should be limited and information on any appropriate actions / next steps should be highlighted. Whilst language should be carefully chosen and tailored to your audience, inconvenient truths should not be concealed or downplayed. Project Progress should be shared in full without hesitation and Risks / Issues should be readily outlined to facilitate the process of mitigation / resolution.Transparency is crucial in building and bolstering confidence amongst Project Stakeholders. Where it is absent, trust can erode and relationships can deterorate; disrupting collaboration.

2.    Concise – Messages should be tailored to deliver the required level of detail / information in as few words as possible. Unnecessary detail is to be avoided, as it can distract from the main message and cause confusion. Invite feedback and additional questions from Stakeholders to ensure messages are fully received / understood.

3.    Two-Way – Effective communication involves both writing / speaking, but also listening. A Failure to listen can result in mis-alignment between a Delivery Team and its wider group of Stakeholders, a breakdown in communication and potentially a loss of confidence / trust. Thus, it is vital to actively encourage Stakeholder feedback on a continuous basis. Where possible, feedback should be implemented to enhance delivery and strengthen Stakeholder confidence in and support for the Project. 

4.    Courteous – Project Managers should foster an environment which champions courteous communication at all times. Whilst emotions may run high in challenging circumstances, it is no excuse for communication to become terse and therefore, cross boundaries of tolerance. In fact, such poor practices can exacerbate the issues at hand and make it increasingly difficult for teams and stakeholders to effectively work on solutions to their problems. By ensuring courteous communication is a constant, Project Managers can safeguard collaboration and productivity and exude an air of confidence / self-assurance which inspires others in trying times.

5.    Consistent – The message, language and tone used in communications should be consistent across all channels. Inconsistencies can cause confusion, misinterpretation or ultimately distrust. 

Does your engagement need to improve the way it communicates with stakeholders?

Contact CA Project Management Services today to discuss how we can help.