DailyPost 1159
STAKE-HOLDERS ALL?
What is at stake for the project and what are the stakeholders stakes in that project are two totally different worlds. Simply put different stakeholders have different things to extract out of the same project. But the general understanding is that the stakeholders think and act in unison. Actually, they should so. The harsh reality is that humungous multiple stakeholders projects have chances to fall under their own weight. The capability of the project leader to provide that aggressive, technical, competent and visionary leadership forces the stakeholders to align to the Project’s stakes.
Expecting a cog in the wheel to behave like a wheel does not yield results. To elevate this thinking and action by way of checks and balances, rewards and punishments, incentives and replication, creating role model, benchmarks and best practices grown the organic way on the project is believed and adhered to. General fundas and supposed learnings from other projects have no value. It’s a lip service indeed. If you dissect threat bare the legal documents; the MSA, SLAs, Payment Schedules, one thing comes out in the open; break even financially as fast as possible and don’t take any liability.
The owner / main stakeholder runs from pillar to past to make the project happen. The goals, methods, mindset, sanctity of timelines, quality and zero tolerance components; the lifelines of the project are never a part of on-boarding training. It very rare to see any training either. The vendor takes care of his staff and resources and if and when warranted from his point of view, discusses. With multiple vendors in place, you can well understand the situation. It’s a vendors cosmos which takes over, driving the project and deriving out of it.
Core Stakeholders Team has to be created way before the onset of the Project, the guiding principle should be that each member of the team would continue till the end of the Project. Each member would be responsible for his or her part and all interfaces emanating out of it. Common training for the project and project mindset should become the norm. Each project needs a different mindset, pace, interfaces and modes of delivery. The interfaces are the transitioning blocks. The Project leader has to transform Core Stakeholders Team into a concrete entity.
PROJECT’S STAKE IN NOT THE SUM TOTAL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS STAKE. ITS WAY MORE.
Sanjay Sahay