Properly managing stakeholder expectation is important to your project’s success. There will be times you will be expected to deliver toward a date that is given to you without the due diligence you need to complete all of your planning. It can be tempting to agree to expectations that can be unreasonable because of the concerns over correcting the expectations of your sponsor or key stakeholders. We all want to be the hero that delivers but agreeing to deliver a project by a due date you know can’t meet is a disservice to everyone.
It’s important to deliver to the expectations of your sponsor and stakeholders as long as you can ensure you are in the best position to deliver. This means completing planning, raising risks and developing a relationship with your sponsor and key stakeholders to the point where they are confident in your assessment and recommendations. This approach will pay off in spades over time.
