Practical ideas to help you manage your work with less overwhelm and more confidence

A THOUGHT FROM JENNIFER

Has this ever happened to you?

You’re running a project, when suddenly a Sr. VP asks, “How’s the project going? Send me a brief memo on the status.”

A fire drill ensues.🔥 You have to drop everything to gather information and write an update—which can cost you the better part of a day. What’s the best way to handle this situation?

Don’t let them wonder in the first place!

Sending a regular status email to key stakeholders on the project pays you back in spades. It doesn’t have to be fancy; if it’s clear, concise, and highlights the things they’re most interested in...

You’ll see an increase in:

• Trust in the project (and you!)

• Responses to questions or needs you have about the project as it progresses.

You’ll see a decrease in:

• Scope creep! (If you’re shaping the narrative, there’s less time for them to dream of other features. 😉)

• Needing to share bad news way past the time anything can be done about it.

A regular update engages stakeholders by bringing them on the journey, so they have a greater sense of ownership, and they’re more ready to participate when the time is right.

A good update should include:

1. The end goal and timeframe (a brief visual or simple roadmap is helpful here)

2. What has been accomplished since the last update

3. What’s coming up next

4. Any significant blockers (and add what you’re doing about them).

As a head start, here's a template we've created. Feel free to download it and make it your own.

If you send consistent updates like these, then—when the project is delivered—stakeholders will be delighted to see exactly what they’ve been expecting the whole time.

On the journey with you,

POINT TO PONDER

How do you keep key stakeholders updated on longer projects?

A RESOURCE WE LOVE

Practical Project Management Help

By Liz Presutti, PMP

A few years ago, while working as a project manager at a Christian nonprofit, I’d be in the thick of a project—attempting to turn chaos into order—and find I needed some immediate, practical project management help.

Thankfully, I discovered the Coffee with Brett video series on YouTube. Brett Harned has become a bit of a virtual mentor to me. Whenever I have a project management question, he usually has a helpful answer!

I especially recommend his video, "How to Run an Effective Project Kickoff Meeting." I re-watch it for a quick refresher before most kickoff meetings I lead. If you're looking for answers to your PM questions, give Coffee with Brett a try!

BRAIN BREAK

A Daily Puzzle for Music Lovers

By Carolyn Wildermuth, Communications Director

Here’s a fun brain break for you music lovers—Bandle. Think Wordle, but with music. The band plays a popular chorus, introducing one instrument at a time, and you get six chances to guess the song. It's the latest rage for our game-loving, music-loving team. Give it a try, you might get hooked like we did.

Your friends and fans,

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