Reporting is one of the crucial tasks for a project manager where the relevant project’s details are assessed. Scope situation, time management, and cost management are usually most important information required for all stakeholders.
The project reporting needs to stick with basic rules in order to show project status and at the same time be comprehensive to the particular details. For better stakeholder communication as well as to explain the project status, tested templates should be used then reinforce them with excellent graphs and diagram
Comparison between change management & project management
Change management is a “set of processes that ensure the significant changes are implemented in a controlled fashion to effect organizational change. The goal of change management with respect to human aspect is to overcome the resistance to change and achieve the organizational goal of an orderly and effective transformation”
Project management is “the discipline of applying scientific principles to initiate the plan and manage the way that new changes are implemented within an organization”. Key components of project management are Time, Scope and Quality.
Project management and change management are two disciplines which are separate but integrated.
Management Reporting and Presentation Requirements
During change management, there will be a need to combine all activities using a proven methodology to execute and monitor tasks in order to achieve expected output. Therefore, it will be necessary to manage reporting activities based on stakeholders’ behavior during the change process.
In international projects, other factors have to be considered such as language barriers and cultural differences that require much effort in the communication process. Reporting and presentations then become more strategic in engaging stakeholders.
How to combine Change and Project Reporting
Following questions arise in combining change and project reporting:
- How to simplify the combination?
- How to avoid overlapping, saving time in reporting?
- How to make stakeholder’s management simpler than ever?
While working in an international transformational project, then came my eureka moment, to use the inverted pyramid structure and approach in reporting and presentations.
Applications of the inverted pyramid, symbolism, and impact of its visual representation
Some applications for reverse pyramid are mentioned as
- Organization
- Writing
- Copywriting
- Persuasive communication
- Fitness
- Bodybuilding
All the above applications show different goals and pros and cons of the application principles.
Logic:
The upper level of pyramid depicts most significant tasks requires a major effort.
The intermediate levels decline in significance leading the bottom level to be least significant with least effort.
The RAG status which rates different criticality levels in the projects can ideally be combined with the reverse pyramid design
The reverse of inverted pyramid has been used by me in various phases
- Kick off meeting
- High-level process analysis
- Monthly project reporting
- Stakeholders meeting
I would like to share with you how and why my approach has been successful in the reporting tasks for this project.
How to use Reverse Pyramid in Change Management Project kick off
Three essential elements of change process need to be focussed on
- Set of processes to implement the change
- Manage the human aspects of change
- Overcome the resistance to change
The effort expected for a change management project is invariably higher in project initiation and it is expected decreasing during the project phases.
How can Inverted Pyramid be used to engage Stakeholders
Two risks that should be managed very carefully since the beginning are
- Resistance
- Unrealistic expectations
Employees could readily accept change when they are involved in change design. It is important to invest energy to present some of the project’s aspects of stakeholders.
Followings points should be considered:
- Show them when, where and how things will happen.
- Make clear about expected effort
- Primary feedback and questioning need to be encouraged.
According to different changes required in the scope, various actions with relative effort are required.
How to use Inverted Pyramid when reporting Plan Status
The inverted pyramid helps to keep track of Starting – ending dates of phase, tasks and highlighting the status of each phase without forgetting descending effort left.
How to use Inverted Pyramids when reporting to team members
Team members engagement is the most crucial indicator in change management process. This involves reporting to the teams the project phases with the goal to analyze them. Indeed, it will be necessary to integrate details if requested about variances in acceptance status of the departments keeping the details at the minimum level in the report.
Symbols do not express, but suggest
Luca Collina (BA, BSC & PM PRINCE 2 Certified) is an independent transformational consultant and PM (change management and ERP). If you are looking for a way to balance your tasks between project & change management send me a message directly to me at info@lucacollina.co.uk