Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature

Managing Expectations:
An Essential Project Manager Feature (Related Studies)

Gabriel, Dianne Nicole G. BSIT 4-1

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Related Studies We define EXPECTATION as a belief will happen or is likely to happen. Expectations come from a different perspective. People define expectation differently. For an instance, our professors or instructors expects us to perform in class well, that if we dont perform well is either we will get a low grade or fail in their cla ss. But expectation comes from a different form. Expectations of stakeholders in project management are different. As what John Serri discussed in his article, project expectations are not readily defined or quantifiable; rather it is subjective and has ambiguous criteria.

Serri mentioned some of challenging project expectations:

The solution is off-the-shelf; therefore, you the implementer should require minimal help from me. (the user)

Your company has carried out hundreds of implementations which is why you were selected. There is nothing unique or challenging about this implementation.

Your team is comprised of all-stars with extensive application knowledge so it is your responsibility to keep us out of trouble.

We have signed the contract. Why hasnt the project started?

You told us this functionality was purely out of the box, so where is it?

We decided that we want to tweak a few of the requirements, but we still need to meet the original project deadline.

As we can see as the stakeholder, they have that power to estimate their employees. We cant blame them because they are the client, of course as client; they want their effort and money to be used in a productive and useful project. Businessman will always think of what will this project can benefit to the company. Its like why will you Project Management PUPQC - 2

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature invest on something that is not worth investing for? Thats why expectations are high especially to a project that will really be a big help in the company. Of course, they will hire someone who is capable of doing the project. Expectations are getting higher especially when your team or company has already made a lot of system implementation which makes the stakeholder excited or agitated to see the outcome of the project. As an experienced team, they will expect for the project to finish early and completely functional as they will pay high for you because of your capabilities. But projects are not the same, but the stakeholder thinks its the same since it will undergo the same process. They think that if you did this particular project with a particular deadline, then it is possible for their project to finish like the previous project youve worked on. As a project manager, he/she should explain or elaborate to the stakeholder that every projects have its own difficulty and own environment. Maybe youve finished the project earlier because the resources are complete and your team is knowledgeable enough to the business process or the system that the company has. Every project cant be approached in the same manner. Every project has its own uniqueness; the project manager is expected to be flexible for the every project has its own requirements. Project manager should always keep the excitement or the enthusiasm of the stakeholder. Giving or doing what the client expects boosts their enthusiasm and making them disappointed can make them uninterested in the project. We all know that stakeholders participation in the project plays a big role in the project development. Without them, the completion of the project will not be attained. While we cant quantify project expectations into simple numbers, we can attempt to better define them and plan to communicate them in a consistent, objective way. Planning and thinking of risks is the first step to better manage expectations. In any aspect of project development and even in our own life we should always plan and think of fall backs of the decision we will make and of course set goals for us to follow and look forward to. John Serri, as VP, Strategic Initiatives in Manhattan Software, proposed a threestep approach to manage stakeholders expectations. These are as follows:

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature 1. Gauge the client's expectations at the start of the project, and attempt to define/refine them into as simple as possible terms everyone will understand. This is easier said than done.

2. After the initial expectations are agreed upon, set and possibly reset the expectations of the project to reach a uniform consensus between the client and the implementation team.

3. Once expectations are base-lined set out to meet or exceed them. Manage change in a clear, agreed-to, no-surprises manner consistent with expectations. The figure below summarizes the three way approach that Serri is talking about.

Step 1: Assess Expectations As what John Serri explained in his article, No two projects are ever quite the same, given the variability in the client and implementation team even when deploying similar solutions. Therefore, if one strategy or solution works for a project we cant predict or say that this solution and strategy will work for other projects, for are no two projects that are exactly alike. The first thing that sets the stage is what Serri called dealing with the hand youre dealt. Just like playing cards, there can be different variability in what is initially handed to the consulting team. For example, the team may be dealing with an inexperienced client who has worked with a sales team that may have overlooked over some details in the interest of closing the deal. Now as the project manager, how can you deal with this Project Management PUPQC - 4

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature client? How can you deal from what the client is expecting from the team? How can you deal with a bad hand from an expectation perspective?

Here are a few recommendations Serri had given: Ensure the implementation team is involved in the sales process. The initial contract should be carefully reviewed by the consulting team to ensure it accurately reflects the needed effort and outcome and does not contain built-in unrealistic expectations. The first place to assess expectations is within the initial contractual documentation.

As early as possible at the start of the implementation have an internal meeting that includes both your implementation team and the sales team to discuss the current client expectation level. Identify the risks and establish a checklist of critical areas. Then gauge the expectations for each. Identify areas where there is likely to be an expectation-to-reality mismatch.

Step 2: Establish Appropriate Expectations After the assessment is completed, now, come up with a plan on how best to deal with client expectations if they are unrealistic that is, unrealizable. As Serri elaborated, once the internal expectation plan is completed, address it face-to-face with your client. This is an integral part of establishing a solid project plan and a trustworthy connection with your client. As part of that plan, address the expectations through clear documentation. Work to come to an agreement on what both sides can expect and ensure that various project documents to be developed, such as specifications, project plans and schedules are in-line with expectations. During the discovery phase of the project have what Serri call an expectation setting meeting. This wont make anyone comfortable, but it will help you deal directly with these issues head on. Be sure to document the results of the discussion and make it an integral part of the project management documentation.

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Step 3: Meet or Exceed the Expectation Baseline Now that Steps 1 and 2 have been attained, now the next step to Serris 3-way approach is to ensure that the mutually agreed upon, realistic expectations are met. This is the essence of good project management. Here are a few things to consider as Serri explained: Eliminate any potential surprises if there are any surprises, they need to be in the form of good news that will further build goodwill with the client.

Bad things can happen. If they do, deliver the bad news promptly and openly. A quote from Machiavelli was mentioned by Serri, Severities should be dealt with all at once so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed drop by drop, so that they may be relished more.

Follow the project plan and project specifications and treat them as a way to battle selective memory; manage change by referencing these documents.

Avoid overpromising. Being nice can and will backfire. Adhere to a change control process and stick to it despite temptations to do otherwise. This is the most effective way to keep expectations from getting out of hand in a complex project. Since most projects represent a change to business as usual, as mentioned in

the book, Absolute Beginners Guide to Project Management, A project manager must be an agent of change. As the project manager it is expected for them to play the main role in leading the stakeholders through the change and acceptance process. As mentioned in the book mentioned earlier, there are seven master principles of expectation management that drive all expectation management activity. These are as follows: 1. Get buy-inwhether its the critical success criteria, resource and time commitments, or individual work assignments, invest the time and energy

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature to gain their trust and to make sure you have genuine buy-in from the affected parties. This is why effective planning is a must. 2. Take care of businessthis is the blocking and tackling fundamentals of project management. Set your baselines, manage to them, and properly handle and communicate any variances. 3. Communicate the big picturewith the end goal in mind, clearly sell the vision on where the project is going, what the targeted solution will be like, and why each work assignment is important. People want to know why and understand the importance of their role. 4. Listen and be alertif stakeholders are not on the same page or have Unstated expectations, there are always cues and signals. Look and listen for them and make it a priority to deal with them quickly. When we discuss managing requirements, probing for unstated expectations will be a key focus. 5. Take their perspectivewe discussed leadership in Chapter 16, but its importance is worth re-emphasizing. This ability is a mainstay for effective expectation management, and it empowers you to anticipate the needs and concerns of your project stakeholders. It also drives a flexible mindset that allows you to adapt approaches, plans, and specifications to best meet the situation at hand. 6. Never assumea key principle that needs constant attention. Many dont realize the assumptions they are working under until it is too late. To help you avoid assumptions, keep the following in mind: Err on the side of over-communication Always set context for all your communication Constantly confirm understanding Clearly communicate what is expected from each team member Project Management PUPQC - 7

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Continuously reset expectations Verify that you have the correct solution to meet the projects objectives (rather than just validating documented requirements). 7. Understand prioritiesthere are always many stakeholders, often with their own distinct views of the world and sets of priorities. While you always aim to find compromises that appeal to entire group, it is important to understand the decision-making process and whose voices have greater influence and priority. In particular, always be very clear on who controls the budget for your project.

A note after the lecture was given that most of the principles depend greatly on the effectiveness of your communication and interpersonal skills as the project manager. Your ability to manage the perception of each individual associated with the project is the key to managing expectations.

Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management While managing stakeholder expectations speaks to the essence of project management and is a key objective of all project definition, planning, and control activities, it is often ignored in introductory project management books. Why expectation management do is often ignored in introductory project management books? As what I have read in this book, there are two reasons. One, many consider it to be an advanced project management topic. Two, many people do not know how to manage expectations and thus just lump it with other project management activities. The author of this book agrees that it is a difficult task to talk about managing expectations without discussing other project management. But he pointed that there is a tremendous value in taking consideration in this matter. The following are as follows: Expectations are a critical success factorWhile scope, budget, and schedule are core elements of managing expectations, there is more and if you ignore it, the odds for real project success or completion are greatly diminished. Project Management PUPQC - 8

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature You can make a differenceBecause expectations deal with perceptions and often get into the art of project management, they can be less tangible, which makes it more challenging to offer guidance. Sign of project management maturityNothing says experience and Im not a rookie more than a project manager who understands the importance of guiding stakeholder expectations and who constantly focuses on this aspect of his/her project.

Critical Aspects of Expectations

Balancing Reality and Perception First, lets define what is reality and expectation. According to MerriamWebster dictionary, Reality is the quality or state of being real; something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily while Perception is the way you think about or understand or notice something easily. As a project manager, one should learn to balance reality and perception. Sometimes or rather I say often reality and perception always didnt meet. Both parties have their own perception in anything. For example, the process you know about is not exactly what the real process is. Sometimes when the development comes, what your percept is what you applied instead of applying on what the reality is. Sometimes we tend to forget that the user of what we are developing or doing is not us that we should follow the process because that is actually how the business works. We cant argue or do what we want to do just because of the mere fact that we percept it that way. As the project manager, one should always bear in their minds that reality should always be over perception. Reality is what we saw, although perceptions can be correct but reality is the strong once, since we saw it. The figure below shows how perception and reality is described.

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature

Aspects of Expectation Management Managing scope is a very important part of managing expectations. Like what I tackled earlier, managing expectations is managing the projects scope. There are four critical components of expectations that are mentioned in this book. Their relationship is portrayed in the figure below.

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature The following components are mentioned in this book as follows: Critical Success FactorsThis aspect includes the traditional measuring rods of scope, schedule, and budget. In addition, it includes any additional acceptance criteria that you established with your key stakeholders during project definition and planning. The heart of project management is focused on managing expectations around these elements, but the key tools are a solid project definition document, a realistic schedule, a baseline budget, early detection of performance variances, and disciplined change control. Project ImpactThis component highlights the change impact of the project output (results, solution, work products). It accounts for any work, process, or organizational change experienced by any stakeholder as a result of the project outcome. This aspect is commonly neglected by less experienced organizations and project managers. As Dr. Stephen Covey (a world famous personal development coach and author of The 7 Habits book series) always says, the key here is to think (and plan) with the end in mind. With this clarity, you can better communicate a common vision of the project outcome and help stakeholders prepare for the changes that will affect them. Work ProductsThis category covers things such as thats not what I asked for, thats not what I meant, and oh no, you gave me exactly what I asked for. This could be considered a part of project scope, but depending on the level of detail in your scope statement, it may not be adequately addressed. This category deals with the detailed expectations surrounding the individual work products that each stakeholder has. At a minimum, it focuses on requirements management, quality management, and overall project approach. We discuss key requirements management techniques that greatly improve your

effectiveness here.

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Project ExecutionThis final component deals with the day-to-day execution of the project. While not as critical as the other aspects, a lack of attention to these elements will certainly create situations that can easily lead to underperforming projects, and then to major expectation management activities. This category deals with the efficiency and effectiveness of the project team, and with the confidence the stakeholders have in them to successfully deliver the targeted solution and in you to lead them there. Common elements in this group include interactions between team and client stakeholders, clarity of roles, responsibilities, work processes, and work assignments.

A common mistake made in expectation management is to commit to requirements that cannot be met given the project constraints. This is often done in efforts to get business, make the customer happy, or in still confidence in the teams abilities. The under-promise, over-deliver principle is one that reminds us that it is much better in regard to expectation management to promise less and deliver more. As a project manager, you should always be honest and direct to the point to your stakeholder. Dont be afraid to be rejected rather than taking up a project with unrealistic expectation. Ones you heard or assess that the project may take longer than the due date given, dont be afraid to tell them. Just explain to them why your team cant finish that project in that date. Breaking a stakeholders enthusiasm and trust is like breaking your rapport between them. For it not to happen, always balance expectation, reality and perception.

Important principles to remember in the discussion: Make sure team members are prepared for their interactions with stakeholders; do not assume stakeholders have a clear understanding of project processes and their work assignments

Always look at the project from their perspective.

Proactively review (with a gentle touch) key tasks and targeted completion dates. PUPQC - 12

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Effective expectation management is not difficult. There is a formula mentioned in the book for each aspect of expectation management. These are as follows: Get realSet realistic expectations; get initial agreement (buy-in) from affected stakeholders; review assumptions and constraints; talk about it; address it; get clarity and understanding. Keep it balancedManage changes; align project reality with stakeholder perceptions; proactively communicate; educate; constantly validate and affirm perceptions; regularly assess performance; reset expectations as needed. Follow-throughDeliver; honor the agreements; get the work done; underpromise, over-deliver.

Essential Elements of Managing Expectations

Project Planning and Control Elements The following are the control elements that are mentioned in the book and its impact on expectations.

Element Project Definition Document

Impact on Expectations Defines why we are doing this Defines what organizational level goal(s) is supported Defines how this project fits/aligns with the other projects Defines expected benefits from this project Defines what will be done Defines who is impacted Defines how success will be measured

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Scope Statement Sets boundaries for what will be done, and what will not be done WBS Allows stakeholders to see the work that must be done Project Budget Estimates Assumptions and Constraints Sets cost and ROI expectations Foundation for budget and schedule Key for better expectations around

estimates, scope, budget, and schedule Project Schedule Project Plan Sets time expectations Sets expectations for how project will be managed Project Organization Chart Identifies and communicates who is

involved and how team is structured. Stakeholder Analysis Defines who is impacted and what their needs are Communications Plan Defines how the communications needs of project stakeholders will be addressed Responsibility Matrix Sets expectations regarding role and work tasks Project Approach Stakeholders need to know what is going to happen and why Approach needs to be tailored to best manage stakeholder

expectations Kickoff meetings Notification project is underway Facilitates expectation setting for the group Status reports Regular, consistent performance

monitoring and reporting keeps everyone informed Change control Project Management Allows scope, time, and budget

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature expectations to be reset and controlled along the way Quality management Focused on satisfying real customer needs and ensuring solution does the right thing Risk management Anticipates, forecasts, and attempts to avoid impacts to the critical success factors Issue management Requirements management Communicates issues to the right people Drives expectations on the product of the project Completion criteria Clarifies package Formal signoffs Documents acceptance of work products at points in time Used in conjunction with milestone and work product reviews Reviews Validates expectations of work products along the way Milestones and checkpoints Validates expectations of project expectations for any work

performance along the way Requirements traceability matrix Keeps visibility of targeted requirements throughout the project process Team charter Communicates team rules and procedures

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Leveraging Kickoff Meetings Meetings are simple but plays a big part in managing expectations. This is one way to have a rapport with the stakeholder. In meetings, all the expectations of the stakeholder was told and also when the development is on going its a way for the team to report their status to the stakeholder. Its also a good way to build trust and good relationship with the stakeholders. As a project manager, one should be able to communicate not only to his team but also his stakeholder for they are the key to make the project functional and successful.

Primary Goals The three primary goals for any kickoff meeting should include the following: Give official notification that the project (or project phase) is underway Achieve a common expectation baseline for all stakeholders Start the relationship-building process between project team, customers, and other stakeholders.

Key Recommendations With these goals in mind, here are some key recommendations for better kickoff meetings: The meeting size, length, and logistics will vary depending on organizational culture, project size, number of stakeholders, project methodology, and project importance. Plan your kickoff meetings accordingly.

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature As a rule, dont try to do too much or cover everything. Use follow-up, minikickoff meetings with focused groups or specific individuals to cover the details. For general kickoffs, get everyone there if possible, especially the executive sponsors. Set context for everyone. Focus on the why. Review project purpose, objectives, and value to the business. Clarify the priorities, target goals, and the critical success factors. Paint the picture. Enable everyone to visualize how the final solution will look, how it will impact them, and how all the pieces fit together. Get to know each other. Start the relationship-building and teamwork processes. Introduce everyone. Review roles and responsibilities and project team organization. Emphasize each persons role, expected time commitment, and value. Establish your leadership and the energy for the project. Set the tone; generate enthusiasm and motivation. Review important project plan items: Scope and major deliverables General approach (methodology) Critical milestones WBS Schedule Estimated effort and budget Project Management PUPQC - 17

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Review key assumptions, risks, and constraints Review key project communications processes Review process/procedures for monitoring project performance Whenever possible, hand out team keepsakes (or promotions) at the beginning of the project. It helps to build team unity and project awareness. Ask for feedback. Clarify any confusion now. Ensure people know what to do first/next (short-term). They should be clear on their next steps.

Requirements Management As how the stakeholders expectation needed to be handled, its the same as with the management of requirements. Requirements are very essential in project development. As a project manager, one should be able to know all the needs of his/her team. For the project to meet its expectation and requirements, the resources must be complete for the team to finish the project on the said date. Incomplete resources may result to the delay of submission of the project or may result to project failure.

What Are Requirements? The 1990 IEEE Standard Glosarry of Software Engineering Terminology defines a requirement as follows: 1. A conditon or capability needed by a user to solve a problem or achieve an objective. 2. A condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a system or system component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed document. 3. A documented representation of a condition or capability as in 1 or 2. Project Management PUPQC - 18

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Common Problems to Avoid To better understand the value of the recommended principles and guidelines, lets take a quick review of the common problems with gathering and defining requirements: Not well-writtenRequirements are ambiguous, inconsistent, too high-level, or not clear. IncompleteList of requirements is not complete to properly define the solution. Unstated expectationsThe list of requirements does not accurately reflect all the expectations held by the stakeholders for the targeted solution. Inflexible processWhile specifications do need to be agreed to and finalized at certain points, defining requirements is an evolutionary process and things do change. The system for managing requirements must anticipate this reality. Lack of verificationThe age-old problem with language. Using statements to describe a targeted solution creates many opportunities for misunderstandings and misperceptions. In most cases, you need to employ other techniques and methods to verify that you are defining the right solution. Lack of educationOften, the stakeholders who are defining the solution requirements dont fully understand the entire requirements process and the significance or impact of their decisions.

Appropriate stakeholders should be educated on the following points at a minimum: Requirements serve as the primary target for the project and as the foundation for detailed project planning

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Walk them through the various techniques and methods to be employed in the requirements definition process Changes to requirements impact cost and schedule, and they cost more the later in the project they are made Requirements can serve as provisions in the contract.

Principles to Remember for Better Requirements Management Requirements definition is an evolutionary process. Plan your project approach and requirements management tools accordingly. The requirements definition process should consist of a combination of gathering techniques. The specific techniques chosen should be based on risks and characteristics of the project. Requirements should describe what, not how. Requirements should avoid any unnecessary constraints. Requirements should be complete, explicit, realistic, and understandable by all parties. Requirements should be linked to the intended solution. Requirements should be prioritized. Listen. Do not pre-judge or draw conclusions too quickly. Strive to convert expectations into requirements. Project Management PUPQC - 20

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Educate appropriate stakeholders on the requirements process.

Guidelines for Better Requirements Focus on user experience. targeted solution. Understand the users workflow. Understand the users work environment. Always ask why? Include other non-language exhibits/models as part of the requirements definition. To drive out unstated expectations, understand the following from each user representative: What are biggest problems now, and why? What functions or features will be the most useful, and why? What aspect of the new solution are you most anticipating, and why? What are your quality and performance expectations for the final solution, and why? To help make better design decisions, define requirements in both present and future needs whenever possible. Identify each requirement with a unique ID. Document any accompanying assumptions.

Understand how the user interacts with the

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Communication is the fuel that drives project success, and the mishandling of it is a top five reason why projects struggle. All the issues about managing expectations mainly comes or is due to lack of communication. Communication plays a big role in project development thats why the project mamangers must pay attention to this matter.

Importance of Project Communication Project communications are not only important for the obvious reason keeping individual stakeholders properly and consistently informed on the status, progress, and impact of the projectthey are a key determinant factor to the overall success of the project. Managing expectations the quality and effectiveness of your

communications will have a tremendous impact on stakeholder perceptions regarding the project and your role as a leader. Managing the project teamthe ability to communicate is the prominent factor affecting how well you manage and lead the core project team. Reducing conflictsThere are enough challenges executing your average project with the customary time, fiscal, and resource constraints without adding unnecessary conflicts that result from misperceptions, lack of information, nonexistent issues. All of which result from ineffective communications. The saving graceEvery solid project manager knows there are two skills that will carry him/her in almost any project situation: organization and communication. Being excellent in these areas, especially project

communications, will compensate for shortcomings in almost every other area.

Why communicating can be tough? The goal of any communication is to have the receiver end up with an understanding (resulting perception) that equals the meaning intended by the sender (intended message) as mentioned in the book , Absolute Beginners Guide to Project Project Management PUPQC - 22

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Management. It sounds simple, yet its hard. There are many things also that affect communication. These things are portrayed in the picture below.

For any message to accomplish its goal, it must clear two key hurdles. First, it must register with the receiverit must hit their radar screen. Depending on the current state of the receiver , other things happening in the environment , and ability of receiver to focus and listen to the message, this may or may not occur. Second, if it does land on the receivers radar screen, the message must then pass through a series of filters in the receivers mind, including past experiences, assumptions, expectations, culture influences, values, and beliefs. And then, even when the message clears these two primary hurdles without significant distortion, the receivers general ability to decode the message will vary depending on their natural learning style. Project Management PUPQC - 23

Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature So why do weed to know this? Three reasons:

1. As a sender, recognize that successfully getting your message across is not trivial and cannot be assumed.

2. As a receiver, recognize the factors that can impact your ability to accurately understand (or hear) what the sender is trying to communicate.

3. Most importantly, it gives your ego an out. Too many people let their ego get in the way of improving their communications. Dont take it personal if you are not understood the first time. As we have mentioned, there are many challenges. The more you can take your ego out of the equation and focus on understanding, the better your communication abilities will become.

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Managing Expectations: An Essential Project Manager Feature Resources: Horine, Gregory M. 2012. Absolute Beginners Guide to Project Management, Second Edition. 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Schwalbe, Kathy. 2010. InformationTecnology Project Management, Sixth Edition. 20 Chanel Center Street, Boston, MA.

PS Village. (2012). A 3-Step Process to Successfully Manage Client Expectation. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from http://www.psvillage.com/pulse/3-step-processsuccessfully manage-client-expectations

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