How can a project manager use negotiation skills to keep a project on track?

1 Negotiate the scope

One of the most common causes of project failure is scope creep, which happens when the project requirements change or expand without proper control. To avoid this, you need to negotiate the scope of your project with your stakeholders before you start working on it. You should clarify the project objectives, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and acceptance criteria, and document them in a scope statement or a contract. You should also establish a change management process that defines how to handle any requests for changes, who can approve them, and how they will affect the project's cost, time, and quality.

2 Negotiate the budget

Another challenge that project managers face is managing the project budget and ensuring that it is realistic, accurate, and sufficient. To do this, you need to negotiate the budget with your stakeholders based on the scope, resources, and risks of your project. You should estimate the costs of each activity, task, and deliverable, and include contingencies for unexpected expenses. You should also track and report the actual spending and variances, and negotiate any adjustments or corrections with your stakeholders as needed.

3 Negotiate the schedule

A project schedule is a tool that shows the sequence, duration, and dependencies of the project activities and tasks. It helps you plan, coordinate, and monitor the progress of your project. However, creating and maintaining a realistic and feasible schedule can be challenging, especially when you have to deal with delays, changes, or uncertainties. To negotiate the schedule with your stakeholders, you need to identify the critical path, the milestones, and the deadlines of your project, and prioritize the most important and urgent tasks. You should also estimate the time required for each task, and allocate enough buffers and slack for possible changes or issues.

4 Negotiate the quality

Quality is the degree to which a project meets or exceeds the expectations and requirements of the stakeholders. It is influenced by many factors, such as the scope, the budget, the schedule, the resources, and the risks of the project. To negotiate the quality with your stakeholders, you need to define the quality standards, criteria, and metrics for your project, and align them with the project objectives and deliverables. You should also implement quality assurance and quality control processes to ensure that your project meets the quality expectations and complies with the relevant regulations and best practices.