Last time, we looked at what you should be thinking about when you're getting ready to involve people, in a way that gets much closer to "no surprises" (if you missed it, or would like to review the content, click here). It may feel like there's so much to remember, so many people to consider, so many ways they want to be kept informed.
To help calm this overwhelm, why not create, and review, your surprise map. This can be particularly useful when combined with a no-surprises plan. It can be as simple or complex as you wish. Your no-surprises plan will likely be useful both when you're planning who to involve and how, and for review throughout the project's life.
Your no-surprises plan could look like this;
| Key Stakeholder | Maintain | Inform | Satisfy | Actively Manage | Action Plan |
| Fred Smith | | X | | | Communicate goals, stress impact on Fred, show data if necessary. |
At the other end of the spectrum, plans can have many columns of data for each person. You may prefer something that sits in between the two. Something that helps keep track of the answers to the questions you'll have asked, during the previous two steps in the journey. People I've worked with have found something like this to be workable, striking a useful balance;
| Stakeholder | Surprise map | Current perception | What information | What's in it for me? | When to inform | By what means | Who do they listen to | Actions |
| Fred Smith | M | -ve | Upcoming activities and resource needs | resource planning up front | Monthly | phone | I. Jones | Share initial plan.... |
| Fay Probert | S | +ve | Heads up on finance involvement | Controlling planning info when needed | Monthly | Email/meeting as needed | W Rigg | Define budgetary requirements... |
Which ever approach you decide upon, you'll produce a living, evolving plan, that should support communication and delivery of your project activities with the minimum of surprises.
What steps will you take over the next month to build and use a no-surprises plan?
How would it feel to be involved in a project that used this approach?
As you read this article, what thoughts come up, what questions do you have?
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