BUILDING AND MAINTAINING

RELATIONSHIPS WITH
PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS
By
Suhail Iqbal, PE, PMP, MCT
Component Mentor (Asia)
Research Scholar, Lille,
France

Overview
Introduction to Relationship Building
Relationship Awareness Theory
Stakeholder Management
Linkage with Communications and
Conflict Management
Effects of crossing organizational,
cultural, and, time and distance
boundaries
Relationship Building Strategies
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Introduction to Relationship
Building

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Competency vs Maturity

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Dimensions of Competency
what they
know about
project
management
?

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how individuals
behave when
performing the project
or activity, their attitude
and core personality
traits?

what they are

able to do or
accomplish
while
applying their
project
management
knowledge?

Personal Competencies
Unit of Competence: Achievement and Action
Achievement Orientation Cluster
Concern for Order, Quality, and Accuracy Cluster
Initiative Cluster
Information Seeking Cluster

Unit of Competence: Helping and Human Service

Customer Service Orientation Cluster
Interpersonal Understanding Cluster

Unit of Competence: Impact and Influence

Impact and Influence Cluster
Organizational Awareness Cluster
Relationship Building Cluster

Unit of Competence: Managerial

Teamwork and Cooperation Cluster

Developing Others Cluster
Team Leadership Cluster
Directiveness: Assertiveness and Use of Positional Power Cluster

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Relationship Building

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The Human Side

Relationship building and
empowerment occurs when we
plan and manage our human
resources effectively.
Managing Project Life: A Project Management Model for Successful Lifestyle
Management by Barbara J. Wong, PMP & Raymond A. Ford
-- Proceedings of the 29th Annual PMI 1998 Seminars & Symposium, Long Beach,
California

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Personality Disorder
Most generally effective approaches to
personality disorder therapy involve
(a)relationship building and
maintenance,
(b)appropriate understanding of the
situation/problem/project, with the
ability to apply contingent solutions.
Project Management in Manufacturing: Personality Disorder vs. Business Process
by Diana L. Day, P.E., PMP
-- Proceedings of the 29th Annual PMI 1998 Seminars & Symposium, Long Beach, California

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Relationship Awareness
Theory

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10

Relationship Awareness
Theory

Premises

We all do what we do because we want to feel

good about ourselves.
We tend to take two different approaches to life:
When we feel that things are going well, and
When we feel that we are faced with opposition or
conflict.

A "personal weakness" is no more or no less

than the overdoing or misapplying of a personal
strength.
We naturally tend to perceive the behaviors of
others through our own filter, our Motivational
Value System.
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Relationship Awareness
Theory

Behaviors
Behaviors are tools used to get some
result or confirm our sense of selfworth. These tools are also used to
ward off things we do not want.
Motives come from our wish to feel a
strong sense of self-worth or self-value.
Our individual Motivational Value
System is consistent throughout our
life and underpins all of our behaviors.
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Stakeholder Management

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Project Stakeholders
For projects, stakeholders can include a
very broad range of organizations and
individuals, many of which can effect the
success of the project in either negative or
positive ways. These stakeholders should
be identified in the program management
plan, along with issues, requirements and
responsibilities associated with properly
managing those relationships. In addition,
regulatory compliance, reporting and
relationship building should also be
planned and described in the management
plan.

Managing Program Management Plans: Effective Tools for Managing Multiple Projects
by David L. Pells, PMP
-- Proceedings of the 29th Annual PMI 1998 Seminars & Symposium, Long Beach, California

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14

Provider Selection
Providers must be selected based
on their total capabilities and
cultural fit. A careful balance of
relationship building and a
competitive, methodical approach
must be struck throughout the
provider selection process.
Combining Strategic Outsourcing and Project Management: The Synergistic
Effect
by Shan Rajagopal, Ph.D. and Michael Mobley
-- Proceedings of the 31st Annual PMI 2000 Seminars & Symposium, Houston,
Texas

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15

Two Hats: Director vs Leader

Changes are Coming for 2000: Approach Project Management with Two Hats
by Kelly Kalmes
-- Proceedings of the 29th Annual PMI 1998 Seminars & Symposium, Long Beach, California

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Linkage with Communications

and Conflict Management

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Team Integration Issues

Prior to distributing the integration-level functional schedules,
every effort should be made to get to personally know as
many people as possible supporting the program. Get to know
the team members by name, and whenever possible try to
talk to them about their role, function and how it relates to
the program. This requires that you sincerely care about others
and their contributions to the team. This relationship building
can be planned, but in practice, it is mostly unplanned and
usually only takes a few minutes per day. When developing
relationships, it is important to keep in mind that project teams
consist of an assortment of personalities that range from quiet
introverts on one end of the spectrum to boastful extroverts
at the other end. Quiet introverts need to be prodded to
contribute information. However, once the feel comfortable in a
relationship, they will open up. The boastful extrovert will
provide more than enough information. The challenge with the
boastful extrovert is to be able to glean the important project
information.

Developing a Framework for Establishing Cross-Functional Integration Within a Product Development Project
by William J. Swanston and Gary T. Biggar
-- Proceedings of the 31st Annual PMI 2000 Seminars & Symposium, Houston, Texas

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Localization of Process
A local organizational model can be
developed to show the relationship
of the local project management
association to government agencies
and industrial firms, which can then
be used for communication,
relationship-building, marketing,
and developing products and
services for local stakeholders.
Global Impact: How Global Events and Trends Might Affect the Project Management
Profession Worldwide by David Pells, PMP
-- Proceedings of the 30th Annual PMI 1999 Seminars & Symposium, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania

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Cost of Conflict
Conflict is a fact of life - for individuals,
organizations, and societies. The cost of
conflict
is:high turnover,

grievances and lawsuits,

absenteeism,
divorce,
dysfunctional families,
prejudice,
fear.

A well-managed conflict can actually be a force for positive

change.
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Effects of crossing organizational,

cultural, and, time and distance
boundaries

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Virtual Teams
In this increasingly electronic age,
virtual teams have become a way of
life. Maintaining communications
and continuing relationship
building among a virtual team
project or department across
miles and oceans presents a host of
new challenges.
Teaming in the Virtual World Getting Beyond Location
by Mary Elizabeth Diab, PMP
-- Proceedings of the 31st Annual PMI 2000 Seminars & Symposium, Houston, Texas

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Virtual Project Management

Members in a distributed project management environments often
have expertise in a specific area, so there is a great need for knowledge
sharing and relationship building via effective communication and
knowledge management techniques.
Initial face-to-face communication is an essential prerequisite in
establishing higher levels of trust and motivation among managers
working from geographically dispersed locations.
Managers or team leaders must play as a communication bridge
between the two developers of virtual teams in order to minimize
conflict.
A single communication point is a must to avoid redundancy and
conflict.
For effective communication, the appropriate use of telephones, videoconferencing and face-to-face meetings should be considered essential.
Clear ownership, roles and responsibilities are essential. Leaders
should play an effective role to implement these processes.

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Relationship Building Strategies

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Relationship Building
Strategies
Communicate Frequently
Offer Rewards
Hold Special Events
Build Two-Way Communication
Enhance Stakeholder Communication /
Customer Service
Launch Multicultural Programs
Visit the Trenches
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1. Communicate Frequently
How often do you reach out to stakeholders?
Do the bulk of your communications focus on product
and project?
For best results,
it's important to communicate frequently and
vary the types of messages you send.
Instead of a constant barrage of promotions, sprinkle
in helpful newsletters or softer messages.
The exact frequency you choose will depend on your
industry and even seasonality,
it's possible to combine e-mail, direct mail, phone
contact and face-to-face communication to keep
prospects moving without burning out on your
message.
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2. Offer Rewards
Stakeholder/Customer loyalty or
reward programs work well for many
types of projects.
Whenever possible, offer in-kind
rewards that remind your stakeholders
of your project and its products or
services.
Team must be aware of the reward
system and must be influenced by it.
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3. Hold Special Events

The company-sponsored special
events are returning to the forefront.
Any event that allows you and your
team to interact with your best
stakeholders is a good bet, whether
it's a springtime golf outing, a
summertime pool party or an early fall
barbecue.

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4. Build Two-Way
Communication
When it comes to stakeholder/customer
relations, "listening" can be every bit as
important as "telling."
Use every tool and opportunity to create
interaction, including asking for feedback
through your Web site and e-newsletters,
sending customer surveys (online or offline)
and providing online message boards or blogs.
Stakeholders/Customers who know they're
"heard" instantly feel a rapport and a
relationship with you and your project.
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5. Enhance Stakeholder
Communication / Customer
Service

Do you have a dedicated staff or

channel for resolving
stakeholder/customer problems quickly
and effectively?
How about online stakeholder/customer
assistance?
One of the best ways to add value and
stand out from the competition is to
have superior stakeholder/customer
service.
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6. Launch Multicultural
Programs
Outsource all what can be done better by
experts.
Transfer Risk by procuring services and
outsourcing high-risk tasks.
Employ virtual teams to take advantage of time
and border diversity.
Ethnic stakeholders will appreciate marketing
communications in their own languages.
Bilingual stakeholder/customer service will also
go a long way toward helping your company
build relationships with minority groups.
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7. Visit the Trenches

it's important to go beyond standard call of the
duty and off-the-shelf communication tools in
order to build relationships with stakeholders.
When was the last time you spent hours, or
even a full day, with a stakeholder?
There's no better way to really understand the
challenges your team face and the ways you
can help meet them, than to occasionally get
out in the trenches. Try it. You'll find it can be a
real eye-opener and a great way to cement
lasting relationships.
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BUILDING AND MAINTAINING

RELATIONSHIPS WITH
PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS
Suhail Iqbal, PE, PMP,
MCT
House No. 374, Street
13, F-10/2, Islamabad,
Pakistan
suhail@pmi-islamabad.org
+92-51-2292096
+336-8403-9624

Speakers
Coordinates