How do you address senior leadership's skepticism about project feasibility during updates?

Trust is a currency that has to be earned and should be cherished. How does one rebuild the trust when it's lost? What strategies can you use to restore trust with your client, peers, and subordinates?

In my experience, the best way to gain trust with senior leaders is start with taking their perspective. Most senior leaders are very busy people so they tend to lack time and mental bandwidth. What they are looking for are quick soundbites (verbal) and/or concise exec summaries (written) that outlines the problem, a clear plan of attack and how it solves a business priority that senior leaders care about, and expected outcomes that are linked to business metrics. Trust starts with seeing what the other person sees (in this case it's the problem). Then be patient to incrementally build trust as you execute.

Construir confiança com a liderança sênior é crucial ao lidar com o ceticismo. Demonstre seu histórico de sucesso em projetos anteriores, destacando como gerenciou riscos e superou obstáculos. Por exemplo, compartilhe depoimentos de stakeholders beneficiados pelo seu trabalho. Mantenha a transparência com atualizações regulares e honestas, mesmo com notícias negativas. Isso prova seu compromisso não apenas com o projeto, mas com os objetivos da organização.

Gather data and evidence to support project viability. Show understanding and empathy towards their skepticism. Break down complex project aspects into simple, easy-to-understand language. Showcase achievements and successes so far. Proactively discuss potential obstacles and your mitigation strategies. Present contingency plans and alternatives to address concerns. Show willingness to adjust plans based on feedback and new information. Connect the project to the organization's overall goals and strategy. Keep leadership informed throughout the project's progression. Encourage open dialogue and questions to build trust and confidence.

The first step to building deep, sustained trust is reassuring your stakeholders that they’ve been heard. Whether demonstrating a track record of success or sharing endorsements, align your messaging to specific concerns and language they’ve expressed. When providing honest (if negative) updates, always present an accompanying remediation plan that explicitly addresses any related skepticism. Be sure to always acknowledge and respond with informed, conscientious, and personalized rationale.

Para convencer a liderança sênior sobre a viabilidade do projeto, dados atuais são seus aliados mais fortes. Apresente uma análise de mercado detalhada, avaliações de risco e previsões financeiras. Use recursos visuais, como gráficos e tabelas, para simplificar informações complexas. Por exemplo, destaque como o projeto pode aumentar o ROI. Adapte sua apresentação aos interesses da liderança, focando em métricas e resultados que ressoem com suas prioridades.

Data is key - but the trick is HOW you present it as well. Once you have your data, you must think through your audience, what is important to them. Also think through what your ultimate goal is for them to take away. From there you have to communicate what the data means through story telling. You must be able to tell a story of how the data is relevant, was there a change, what does that change mean. It is more than just putting up a graph - what is that graph telling you? How did you arrive to that conclusion? How does this relate to what the audience cares about?

Effective data presentation to leadership is crucial for informed decision-making. Data-driven management supports rational choices and provides a competitive edge. The challenge lies in the volume and complexity of data, which can overwhelm leaders with diverse expertise. Tailoring data to be understandable through simplification, visual aids like charts, and narratives enhances comprehension and engagement. Clear, concise presentations accelerate decision-making, foster transparency, and build trust. Enhancing data presentation skills is essential for organizational success.

When presenting to leadership, the more metrics you can incorporate to demonstrate the project's viability, the better. Tailor your focus to align with the specific specialties of your audience, yet ensure you include additional supporting data to reinforce the overall strength of the project.

Quando resolvemos estruturar um novo setor dentro da empresa, realizamos um projeto de viabilidade para ser apresentado e avaliado pela alta gestão, a fim de que pudéssemos prever possíveis riscos e ganhos futuros. Com isso conseguimos colocar em prática antes do esperado e conseguimos resultados satisfatórios, pois tínhamos dados para nos apoiarmos. Não se trata de convencer e sim de mostrar dados palpáveis e que tragam ganhos para a empresa. Importante salientar que os ganhos nem sempre precisam ser financeiros, os ganhos financeiros podem ser a consequência.

Addressing senior leadership's skepticism about project feasibility during updates; 1. Highlight past successes to build trust. 2. Provide data-driven analysis to back up claims. 3. Acknowledge risks while emphasizing mitigation plans. 4. Demonstrate flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. 5. Engage stakeholders continuously to address concerns.

Abordar proativamente os riscos é essencial para aliviar o ceticismo. Descreva claramente os riscos do projeto e suas estratégias de mitigação. Por exemplo, explique como uma análise de mercado detalhada pode reduzir a incerteza. Discuta planos de contingência para cenários adversos, mostrando que você considerou vários resultados. Isso demonstra otimismo realista e preparação, reforçando sua credibilidade e comprometimento com o sucesso do projeto.

Highlight and clearly communicate mitigation suggestions of all potential risk of the project or proposition under consideration.

Quando apresentamos os riscos do projeto precisamos estar prontos para os desafios que iremos enfrentar, então além de mostrar os riscos precisamos mostrar como iremos agir para soluciona-los. A solução normalmente vem de estudo de casos e pesquisas realizadas, saber como agir em cada um dos riscos listados nos garante a habilidade de previsão, ou seja, quando durante o projeto o risco se fizer presente saberemos exatamente quais precauções tomar para obter o sucesso esperado.

One thing I've found helpful in addressing senior leadership's skepticism about project feasibility is proactively addressing potential risks. Clearly outline the risks associated with the project and your strategies for mitigating them. Actually, I disagree with simply presenting overly optimistic projections without acknowledging potential obstacles. Leadership appreciates transparency and a balanced view that includes both opportunities and risks. An example I have seen is when a project manager at a leading tech firm highlighted potential challenges in a new product launch. By detailing the risks and presenting well-thought-out mitigation strategies, they gained leadership's trust, ultimately leading to a successful launch.

Alinhar as metas do projeto com os objetivos estratégicos da organização é fundamental para conquistar o apoio da liderança sênior. Por exemplo, destacar como a inovação proposta impulsiona a visão de crescimento sustentável da empresa. Mostrar sinergias com outras iniciativas reforça a importância e viabilidade do projeto a longo prazo.

As a project leader, you should be aware of the higher level strategic initiatives, and how your project objectives fit into those goals. Also be aware of other project objectives and key deliverables. Coordinate with the other project managers and make sure you are aligned at the project level. This will create a sense of alignment when you go into strategic meetings asking for additional support or giving updates. It shows not only that you know where your project is, but how it fits in with the rest of the companies initiatives.

Eigentlich geht es doch oft nur um die Frage: Was habe ich davon? Davon abgeleitet müssen folgende Fragen im Projekt sauber beantwortet sein: - Ist es nur Cash-Burn oder gibt es einen Return? - Welche Brems- oder Beschleunigungsparameter müssen definiert werden bzw. wo liegt die Empfehlung? - Wann treten positive Effekte ein und sind diese dann skalierbar? - spare ich langfristig Zeit und Geld durch die Weiterführung/Finalisierung des Projekts? Am besten die Updates im Stil eines Elevator-Pitches platzieren und unnötige „Füllinfos“ einfach mal weglassen 👍🏻

One thing I've found helpful: Align Goals Ensure your project aligns with organizational objectives. Highlight synergies with other initiatives to reinforce its importance. Actually, I disagree with: Doubting without alignment. Skepticism is valid, but without aligning project goals with organizational strategy, it risks missing potential benefits. An example I have seen is: Strategic alignment in action. By clearly tying project outcomes to company goals, skepticism transforms into strategic support.

As set in the statement, this is the minimum, not to say basic that is expected in terms of goals: alignment. However, experience shows that this alone might not be enough if we don't have all relevant stakeholders fully engagement. Stakeholders management and engagement are crucial to any company's success. Discuss the goals, align, commit and then engage. With these four attitudes the chances that objectives will be achieved increase materially.

Your overall knowledge of the project will shine through during the Q&A section of your presentation. Active listening is imperative. After answering the question, ask if your response addressed their concern or if there is anything you missed.

One thing I've found helpful: Engaging senior leadership in open dialogue about project feasibility updates. It builds trust and collaboration. Actually, I disagree with: Ignoring skepticism from senior leaders. Addressing concerns head-on enhances project outcomes. An example I have seen is: By actively listening to and incorporating senior leadership's feedback, we turned initial skepticism into informed support, ensuring project success.

Precisamos lembrar que estamos lidando com pessoas, que tem uma viviencia e experiencia única. Change Management é uma skill cada vez mais importante para identificarmos em que momento da mudança as pessoas se encontram. Experiencias ruins acontecem e é importante reforçar que isso faz com que agente sempre evolua, e ser um exemplo é sempre uma boa estratégia.

Reassurance is all about trust. Do you wear the responsibilities of a leader on your sleeve? Do you walk the walk, not just talk the talk? It is important to remember that people, especially seasoned leaders, can see through false promises pretty easily. Carry an equal balance of "I can do it," and "I can't do that yet." People will take your positive answers more seriously when you answer in the negative with equal measure. You prove in your actions, not just your words, that your decisions are measured and justifiable. Nothing reassures trust like seeing others trust in you. Have the same level of measured intent and clarity with your team. When your team trusts you to lead them, your leaders will see it.

senior leadership's skepticism about project feasibility during updates? A delicate balance of your role and responsibility and leadership senior to you. Even a CEOs have their limits when it comes to presenting and convincing the board or investors. Put yourself in their shoes while thinking and convincing a point of view, but be very careful in giving an impression of pushing a decision on their behalf. Your communication should be reassuring on your work and responsibilities, and also ensuring your sensitivity towards being in their shoes but to the extent of passing the message. The decision authority lies with your senior leadership and you should never let them feel that you are crossing the line.

Put the managers into the working level's shoes and vice versas. Client expectation is needed as well if the project involves external parties.