Stakeholder Communication & Relations Flashcards

A software manager is working with stakeholders across five time zones. Which strategy BEST addresses communication challenges in this scenario?

Answer: Rotate meeting times to share inconvenience equitably across zones

Rotating meeting times distributes the scheduling burden fairly across distributed stakeholders, demonstrating respect for all parties' working hours.

What is the primary purpose of a stakeholder influence/interest matrix (power-interest grid)?

Answer: To prioritize stakeholder engagement efforts based on their power and level of interest

The power-interest grid helps managers allocate engagement effort appropriately, giving high attention to stakeholders with both high power and high interest.

A stakeholder who was previously supportive of a software project suddenly becomes resistant. What should the software manager do first?

Answer: Seek to understand the root cause of the change in attitude through one-on-one dialogue

Understanding why a stakeholder's stance has changed is the first step; it may reveal unaddressed concerns, miscommunications, or external factors that can be resolved.

Which of the following is an example of a PULL communication method?

Answer: Publishing project reports on a shared intranet portal for stakeholders to access

Pull communication places information in a central location where stakeholders choose to access it, as opposed to push methods that send information directly to recipients.

A vendor stakeholder insists on a deliverable date that the development team deems unrealistic. How should the software manager handle this conflict?

Answer: Facilitate a fact-based negotiation presenting capacity data and exploring trade-offs

Fact-based negotiation backed by team capacity data enables a constructive conversation about trade-offs such as scope reduction, additional resources, or revised timelines.

Which element is MOST critical when documenting stakeholder communication agreements?

Answer: The agreed frequency, format, channel, and owner of each communication

A complete communication agreement captures what information is shared, how often, through which channel, and who is responsible, ensuring accountability and consistency.

A software manager's team delivers a feature that satisfies written requirements but a stakeholder is dissatisfied because their unstated expectations were not met. What should the manager do to prevent this in future projects?

Answer: Conduct expectation alignment sessions early to surface implicit assumptions and needs

Proactive expectation alignment sessions help uncover unstated needs and assumptions before development begins, reducing the risk of meeting the letter but not the spirit of requirements.