Managing Relationships for Project Success

Course Overview

To be an effective project manager, knowing tools and techniques for managing schedules, scope, cost, etc. is important, but not enough. Those skills are only half of the skill set needed to succeed on projects. Since projects are performed by people, another set of skills, often characterized as "soft skills" are required. Whether they are customers, team members, or stakeholders, people are a key part of any project, and project managers need to be able to define, create, manage and sustain effective relationships with these key resources. Experienced project managers often say that these are, in fact, the most important skills of an effective project manager intent on achieving project success.

Key Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate the principles of customer service when dealing with customers as stakeholders
• Define approaches for applying key principles of the project relationship life cycle with project stakeholders as customers, including:
  • Defining approaches for establishing effective relationships 
  • Taking action to create those relationships
  • Managing the relationship inside and outside of the project work environment
  • Sustaining relationships after the project
• Apply a flexible change management process to projects
• Communicate effectively with project stakeholders such as project sponsors and executive leadership

Course Outline

The Project Relationship Life Cycle

• Define customer service
• Describe the key stages of a relationship life cycle
• Define a relationship management life cycle

Understanding Your Relationships

• Describe motivational patterns
• Discuss how responses to conflict differ
• Discuss how understanding different motivational styles impact positive relationships

Creating the Relationship

• Identify customer stakeholders as part of your stakeholder analysis
• Define factors that support establishing a strong relationship
• Discuss how using influence appropriately supports great customer service

Managing the Relationship

• Clarify roles as part of defining a stakeholder and customer relationship
• Set expectations with project stakeholders in order to manage customer service
• Discuss change management as a key to managing stakeholders

Sustaining the Relationship

• Involve project stakeholders in identifying and planning for project risks
• Apply negotiation principles to managing changes on your projects
• Discuss methods of working with project sponsors in difficult situations

Relationships Beyond the Project

• Identify methods to maintain a relationship beyond the project
• Describe the value of showing appreciation