How can you keep stakeholders happy in global delivery?

It is important to understand the expectations of stakeholders. A double verification by validating your understanding with stakeholders is must. Get an agreement on key milestones and key success factors2).Set the expectation at the right( deliverable)level. It is always better to over-deliver against under promises. Remember magnificent promises are always suspected.3) Identify and articulate associated risks and bottlenecks that can delay the outcome and overshoot budget. Your execution plan should include risk mitigation and support needed from Management. 4)Set structured reviews for stakeholders. Progress is an activity of today and is assurance for tomorrow.5)Keep customer informed on critical path progress. Celebrate achievements.

In my experience, team collaboration tools play a vital role in communication. Quick communication could be done via meaningful chats which helps to get quick updates. I feel communication could be effective by categorizing it e.g. urgency could be managed with chats, importance could be managed with emails and information could be managed via CMS/portals/documents.

Maintaining stakeholder satisfaction in global delivery hinges on clear communication, proactive management, and alignment with their objectives. Regular status updates, tailored to each stakeholder's preferences, foster transparency and trust. Prioritize responsiveness to their concerns, demonstrating commitment to their success. Leverage technology for real-time collaboration and visibility into project progress. Additionally, cultural sensitivity and understanding regional nuances deepen relationships. Ultimately, exceeding expectations through consistent delivery and proactive relationship management ensures stakeholder happiness in global delivery initiatives.

I like some communication techniques for conflict resolution that may help: negotiation, arbitrage, mediation are good samples.

Ensure the same goals are communicated across stakeholders Ensure no surprises in your regular update meetings. As this could ruin your relationship. Maintain RAID log to track all risks, decisions, actions, issues and make it available to everyone. Agree on the RAG status understanding is same across global stakeholders Share regular communication to bring everyone on same page Have 1:1 with senior stakeholders to understand what keeps them awake at night Keep employees(teams as stakeholders) engaged Ensure robust governance, relationship,trust across all stakeholders (team, management,vendors, customers) Ensure daily stand ups in case delays expected in any area Ensure to make remote stakeholders feel included.

Expectation management is an essential attribute for global delivery. Overcomitting to stakeholders is a big NO for right expectation setting. Having objective driven scope definition, selecting KPIs, right measurement approach, transparency, fact based approach, effective communication & building trust are important factors to consider for correct expectation management. Managing team's expectations is another priority to drive efficiency and stabilise the team. It is directly associated with the output & productivity of the team.

Keeping stakeholders happy in global delivery requires a delicate balance between communication, respect for cultural differences and managing expectations. Here are some key strategies: 1) Set realistic timeline and goals 2) Regularly assess progress and adjust plans as needed 3) Focus on delivering value 4) Get to know your stakeholders 5) Embrace Cultural differences 6) Celebrate Success 7) Clear and Concise message 8) Proactive Approach 9) Openness to feedback 10) Regular and transparent communication Remember, keeping stakeholders happy is an ongoing process. Be patient, persistent and adaptable.

Never surprise your sponsors, your major stakeholders or your customers. No matter where they are on the globe, no matter their cultural background, or whatever their expertise. Really embrace your risk management to ensure that you clearly articulate the impacts to your programme if any of your identified risks materialises as issues. Including what you would do to mitigate them. Then ensure that your narrative about the progress of your programme regularly discusses these risks and the status of them - in a very natural & non-technical way - as part of your programme reporting. Then if any of the identified risks materialises as issues (which will most likely occur), you can then 'naturally' reaffirm your commitment to addressing them.

Global Delivery is based on stakeholder's satisfaction and simple yet effective communication at each stage. It is also based on the quality of delivery rather than the overall marketing be it software services, manufacturing ,health care ,hospitality ,Finance , Public Services etc. Setting the correct expectation to the end customer and meeting the commitments is an essential aspect of Global Delivery. Diversity and Inclusion ,benchmarking the standards and following a lean and agile model is another hallmark of this delivery model.

Stakeholders' attribute is need or expectations. It is important to understand how to aim to meet the expectations of the stakeholder be it internal or external. The stakeholder's needs vary based on the role hence communication needs to be specific, and clear which creates transparency in the engagement and create accountability of stakeholders.

We need to engage the stakeholders and that is only possible by empathizing with them. Trust gets built with stakeholders by having intimacy, high credibility, and reliability. When working with the stakeholder the self-orientation needs to be kept low otherwise, we would not be able to understand their pain, issues, or feedback that need to be addressed with only a high level of trust

Communication is the key. Listen, understand and rephrase expectations, challenges, problem to solve or even positive/negative feedback. Devise plan to address with clear timelines, scope and measurable outcome- share this upfront for feedback, incorporate if any. Milestones, tools and new technology play important role. Avoid surprises, resolve conflicts nd keep stakeholder informed. communicate value that you are adding and how stakeholders support is helping you… acknowledge the fact. Reflect, learn and share.

Embrace Technology for Efficiency and Transparency: Project Management Tools: Utilize project management tools to track progress, assign tasks, manage deadlines, and share documents securely. This ensures everyone is on the same page and facilitates collaboration. Communication Platforms: Use video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaboration platforms to stay connected across time zones and locations. This enables real-time communication and reduces misunderstandings. Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage data and analytics to track performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions. This demonstrates professionalism &trust. Example: The India team uses a cloud-based project management tool that provides real-time visibility

I see most of the points are covered but I believe is its the risk management, which needs to be done properly, keep the stakeholder engaged and helps to win their trust. As a program or a portfolio lead, you need to be on top of your program, business or technical risks. Creating a proper risk review board to have a better understanding of the risk and the impact assures the stakeholders that you are on top of your game. Simultaneously, as a lead, you need to ensure that you are playing your A-game at controlling change. I would say, have your stakeholders be a part of the Change Control Board so that its a win-win for all the parties involved.

Planning the delivery and continuous evaluation of the plan vs the actuals with all the stakeholders participation is important. Classify the expectations from each stakeholder group and address them with appropriate actions. Showcase value add during the project life cycle and thinking ahead of the stakeholders to delight them will assist. Building trust is the most critical factor.

Would add full intimacy with cultural differences and local/regional specifics. How you address an end user in US is fundamentally different for European countries. Work habits are to be considered, as well as decision making process (who has not dealt with the famous French “group thinking” or bureaucracy - after all, word’s origins is French)