Do you have one of those executives that harasses you with status updates to projects, yet never attends the status update meetings?
Perhaps they call you, email you, stop in to your office, and want to know what the latest on project X is?
Is the behavior effecient? What suggestions do you have about how to convey project status communication within your organization?
Mike J. Berry
www.RedRockResearch.com
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on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 9:47 pm and is filed under SDLC Development Model, Development Organization, Management, Agile Development Model, Team Management, Project Management, Development Manager.
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March 31st, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Every successful project manager should be able to answer status questions when an executive or otherwise asks. Additionally, the successful software development manager will also be able to answer those types of questions. Executives aren’t asking for project status down to the task level - they just don’t know how else to ask other than, what is the status? Unfortuantely, there really isn’t a better way to ask the question so that they will get the answer they want - which is: how is the project going, is the project on track, is it within budget, it is within scope, and are you keeping it moving forward in a positive, progressive manner?
April 21st, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I have to agree with the anons here - executives are often double or triple booked for meeting times and then they have their bosses poking their head in for a ‘quick status’ update - so at busy companies it will be difficult and fruitless to try to get execs to sit down for half hour or hour long status meetings.
The best practice is to hold the meeting, then send out short and to the point status updates (include in bold, at the top, any action items you need them to take) - they only have about 2 minutes to read and digest the emails too. And if they poke their heads in for a quick question, let them know in three or less sentences how it’s going and give them a heads up about the email that you sent and reiterate quickly anything you need them to do.
Please be respectful of their time and not refuse to provide them the info when requested - you’re more expendable than they are and promotions come to those who help their day.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Build it and they will use (with a little positive re-enforcement)
Take the most questions your manager may ask or that are required by your standards and policies and provide the answers on a small internal web site (SharePoint comes to mind) with the latest information on the projects. The site can provide information on the team; the projects assigned, number of use cases/functions per projects, countdown charts, etc.
As new questions are asked and new information is required, place the data, metric, chart and report on the web site. Don’t forget to add the every important “Last updated on”.
Positive re-enforcement
• All answers, when asked must come from the web site.
• Daily updates are important. Printouts provided by your web-site
• Place a large project board with the latest project information in front of your office. Printouts provided by your web-site
• If asked in person, make a big show of logging into the site in front your boss, answer the question and send a follow-up email.
• If asked by email, provide the answers and a hyperlink to the site in the email.
• If the information needs to be printed make, sure the reports contain the link the site and a tag line. “For up to date information on Project X please goto …”
Teach them to fish.
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