Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management

While managing stakeholder expectations speaks to the essence of project management and is a key objective of all project definition, planning, and control activities, it is often ignored in introductory project management books. Why? Well, I think there are many reasons, but there are two main ones. One, many consider it to be an advanced project management topic. Two, many people do not know how to manage expectations and thus just lump it with other project management activities.

While I agree that is very difficult to isolate strict expectation management activities or to talk about managing expectations without discussing other aspects of project management, there is tremendous value in taking a concentrated look at this:

• Expectations are a critical success factor While scope, budget, and schedule are core elements of managing expectations, there is moreand if you ignore it, the odds for real project success a greatly diminished. We'll get into this more later in this chapter.
• You can make a difference Since expectations deal with "perceptions" and often get into the "art" of project management, they can be less tangible, which makes it more challenging to offer guidance. This won't stop us. We will review several powerful, tangible techniques you can employ to better guide stakeholder expectations.
• Sign of project management maturity Nothing says "experience" and "I'm not a rookie" more than a project manager who understands the importance of guiding stakeholder expectations and who constantly focuses on this aspect of his/her project.

While we have referenced many tools and techniques in earlier chapters that help us manage expectations, this chapter will provide the opportunity to highlight those important items one more time and the opportunity to take a focused look at this vital area of project management. We will explore the critical aspects of expectations, the key components of successfully managing stakeholder expectations, the common mistakes to avoid, and the essential principles and techniques that will guide us in any project environment.