Two weeks ago, I introduced the idea of healthy projects.
Healthy projects:
- contain team members and stakeholders that are happy.
- have clients that are satisfied.
- deliver value to the “business”.
- provide a learning environment for everyone and everything involved, including the project itself
Last week we talked about healthy team members. This week we are onto satisfied customers.
Many new project managers will think that ‘satisfied customers’ means that we delivered on time, on scope and on budget and that the plan went off without a hitch.
As we gain experience as project managers, we quickly learn that this scenario is almost impossible. Our projects are filled with changes, crises and continuous issues throughout.
So, what does a satisfied customer look or sound like?
1. With all the changes going on, I was kept up-to-date in a timely and transparent manner. There were no hidden agendas nor secrets kept from me.
2. I truly felt that the project manager was always in control.
3. The level of communication between myself and the project manager and the project manager’s team was excellent. I never had to pick up the phone and wonder what was going on.
4. I enjoyed dealing with the project manager, and the team, throughout the project.
5. The technical team was able to communicate with me in a manner that I understood either directly or through an “interpreter”. This was important as I was always kept up-to-date.
6. At the end of the project, the project manager asked for a meeting to review lessons learned. I appreciated the opportunity for input at this stage of the project.
7. If they ask, I would gladly give them a good reference
8. If the opportunity arose, I would gladly deal with them again.
Whether we are dealing with our internal or external customers, the satisfied ones will all sound alike.
