How can you effectively communicate vendor escalation and resolution updates to Senior Stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before you send any update to your senior stakeholders, you need to understand who they are, what they care about, and how they prefer to receive information. Some stakeholders may want to see detailed reports and evidence, while others may prefer high-level summaries and visuals. Some may expect regular updates, while others may only want to hear from you when there is a major change or risk. To know your audience, you can use tools such as stakeholder analysis, communication plan, and feedback surveys. You can also ask your stakeholders directly about their expectations and preferences, and tailor your updates accordingly.

2 Choose the right channel

Depending on the urgency, complexity, and sensitivity of the vendor escalation and resolution, you may need to choose different channels to communicate with your senior stakeholders. For example, you may use email for routine updates, phone calls for urgent or critical issues, and video conferences for complex or collaborative discussions. You may also use project management software, dashboards, or portals to provide real-time and interactive information. Whatever channel you choose, make sure it is accessible, reliable, and secure for your stakeholders.

3 Provide the right content

When you communicate vendor escalation and resolution updates to your senior stakeholders, you need to provide the right content that answers their questions and addresses their concerns. A good way to structure your content is to use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, and Result. You can briefly describe the situation that caused the vendor escalation, the task or objective that was affected, the action that you and the vendor took to resolve the issue, and the result or outcome that was achieved. You can also highlight the benefits, risks, and lessons learned from the resolution process.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?