What Senior Leader’s Really Want

Project management has a clear goal: to deliver business value. As a project manager, what can you do to support senior leaders on that value journey.

• Be predictable. Project methodologies create a pathway from idea to the realization of benefits. A powerful element of a methodology is predictability -- for senior leaders and the team. Everyone in a project should know what steps they’re taking and what’s expected of them. Surprising senior leaders isn’t good for your project or your career. So, establish the methodology for delivering each project and follow it. It’s OK if you need to change it. But be sure to collaborate to make the change and communicate the result to all affected stakeholders so there are no surprises.
• Provide information proactively. Project managers need to be forward-thinking. Status reports that detail what just happened aren’t enough. Proactive reporting helps leaders stay ahead of the game instead of scrambling when things go wrong. Use risk triggers for early warnings when risks may come to fruition. Use earned value concepts to forecast project outcomes. Dive into your organization’s project history to compare past project performance to current situations.
• Reassure leaders with tangible data. Senior managers have a lot riding on project outcomes, and a project by its unique nature might make them anxious. To reassure senior leaders, provide them with frequent, accurate, and timely status information, customized to address their concerns.
• Discuss options with pros and cons. To determine how to deliver project outcomes, you have to explore different approaches. Most of the time, there will be more than one way to address project goals and objectives. That means researching the options, identifying their pros and cons, and making a recommendation to senior leaders. That way, management will feel confident they are making solid, well-thought-out decisions, boosting confidence in the project.
• Represent the sponsor when necessary. Project managers must represent the sponsor in many situations (with confidence and capability). Doing this (with the sponsor's endorsement) boosts management’s confidence that the project is in good hands.
• Support organizational strategy. Projects are often part of an extensive portfolio intended to implement organizational strategy. It’s good practice for project managers to ensure that both the project outcomes and delivery process move the organization toward strategic goals. For example, a project may take a less than ideal approach by providing extensive technical training to team members. That training might not be vital for this project, but it is essential to the organization’s longer-term strategic goals. So, in delivering the project, the PM satisfies the project's objectives and helps set up the successful delivery of future projects in the strategic portfolio.

No surprises, relevant information, crises avoided, and organizational goals supported. All things that make senior leaders happy!

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