Stakeholder engagement - Building shared understanding

Learning Outcomes

After reading this article, you will understand how to build shared understanding among project stakeholders. You will learn practical communication strategies, how to resolve misunderstandings, and methods to reach consensus. You will be able to apply techniques to ensure clear alignment on project objectives, and be equipped to answer PMP exam questions relating to stakeholder engagement and shared understanding on projects.

PMP Syllabus

For PMP, you are required to understand how project managers create, maintain, and measure shared understanding among stakeholders. This includes the communications, behaviors, and engagement practices needed to align the project team and stakeholders on objectives and requirements. Ensure you can:

• Explain the concept of shared understanding and how it contributes to project success.
• Describe effective communication techniques for building clarity and avoiding misunderstandings.
• List key steps for addressing stakeholder misalignment and moving towards agreement.
• Recognize methods to resolve stakeholder conflicts and reach documented consensus.
• Apply practices to monitor and sustain a shared understanding throughout the project.

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. Which of the following is essential to build shared understanding among stakeholders on a project?
   1. Relying on written status reports only
   2. Frequent two-way communication and feedback
   3. Assigning all decisions to the project manager
   4. Avoiding discussions about requirements
2. If a misunderstanding arises and stakeholders have conflicting views of the project scope, the best immediate action is:
   1. Delay project work until all parties agree
   2. Escalate to the project sponsor
   3. Bring parties together to clarify requirements and causes
   4. Ignore the issue and continue
3. What is an effective technique for measuring if shared understanding has been achieved?
   1. Confirming that only the sponsor understands the objectives
   2. Documenting and reviewing agreements with all stakeholders
   3. Relying on informal conversations only
   4. Avoiding questions about priorities

Introduction

Shared understanding among stakeholders is essential for project success. Misunderstandings can result in scope disputes, rework, or project failure. Building shared understanding requires the project manager to use structured communication, active listening, and consensus-seeking techniques from project start to finish.

Key Term: Shared Understanding A clear, common agreement among all relevant parties about goals, requirements, scope, deliverables, and project priorities, reducing ambiguity and misunderstandings.

Key Term: Consensus The process by which stakeholders discuss, resolve differences, and openly agree on project issues, leading to documented and accepted decisions.

Key Term: Stakeholder Alignment The degree to which stakeholders have a consistent view of project objectives, requirements, success criteria, and processes.

Why Shared Understanding Matters

Projects involve people with different roles, backgrounds, and interests. Without a shared understanding, assumptions and gaps can easily derail project progress. Most project distress—and many exam questions—arises from unclear requirements, ambiguous scope, or stakeholder disagreements that were not resolved early.

Building shared understanding is not a one-off task; it must be developed and maintained. This is particularly important in projects with dispersed, virtual, or cross-functional teams.

Roots of Misunderstanding

Misunderstandings can arise from:

• Differing interpretations of requirements or objectives
• Unstated assumptions
• Communication breakdowns or poor feedback loops
• Language or cultural barriers within the project team
• Stakeholders working in silos, each with their own priorities

Exam Warning

The PMP exam often presents scenarios where projects fail due to overlooked misunderstandings. Always assess if a clear, documented, and reviewed shared understanding has been established. Never assume everyone interprets requirements the same way unless this is demonstrated.

Establishing Shared Understanding

Project managers must intentionally build shared understanding using a combination of structured methods and soft skills. Important actions include:

1. Clarify Requirements and Objectives

Ensure all requirements and project objectives are explicitly stated, not merely implied or assumed.

Key Term: Explicit Requirements Clearly articulated needs or criteria written and agreed upon by stakeholders, reducing reliance on assumptions.

2. Use Two-Way Communication

Active, two-way communication is critical. Include interactive sessions with stakeholders—workshops, facilitated meetings, live demos, or Q&A sessions—alongside traditional reports.

• Use plain, unambiguous language.
• Ask stakeholders to repeat back goals in their own words (“teach-back”).
• Encourage questions, even if they reveal gaps.

3. Document Agreements

Every consensus or important clarification should be documented. This may include updated scope statements, agreed meeting notes, or requirement baselines. Circulate these records for confirmation.

4. Regular Feedback Loops

Revisit shared understanding at key project points or whenever a change occurs. Maintain alignment using “check-back” meetings, regular reviews, and milestone validations.

• Seek proactive feedback, not just complaints.
• Validate: “Is everyone clear on what must be delivered? Are any terms or success criteria still confusing?”

5. Address and Resolve Misunderstandings Quickly

If confusion, disagreement, or unexpected stakeholder behavior appears, act fast.

• Call a targeted session to clarify the specific item.
• Ask all parties to voice their interpretations.
• Identify and agree on the cause of misunderstanding.
• Update and re-circulate documentation as soon as consensus is reached.

Worked Example 1.1

A project to develop a new internal HR system has its first scope workshop. The HR sponsor and IT team both say “self-service features must be easy to use.” However, after initial configuration, the HR sponsor claims the interface is confusing for non-technical staff, while IT believes they met requirements.

What went wrong, and how could shared understanding have prevented this?

Answer: The phrase “easy to use” was not defined—each group assumed their own meaning. The project manager should have led a requirements clarification session, asking all parties to specify what “easy to use” looks like: examples, measurable criteria (e.g., number of clicks). An explicit, shared agreement would prevent differing assumptions.

Building Consensus Among Stakeholders

When disagreements or uncertainty persist, consensus-building techniques must be used.

1. Identify Root Cause

Break down the situation with all necessary parties. Ask each group how they interpret the requirement or situation.

2. Facilitate Discussion and Negotiation

Bring key stakeholders together (face-to-face or virtually) to discuss their positions, clarify language, and surface assumptions.

3. Seek Documented Agreement

• Use facilitated workshops, voting, or decision matrices if needed.
• Once all sides have voiced and discussed concerns, record agreed decisions in updated documentation (requirements, scope, priorities).
• Share back to all parties for review and approval.

4. Support and Monitor the Outcome

Continue to check that all parties uphold the new consensus, and update documentation and plans if changes arise.

Worked Example 1.2

During a product launch, a marketing stakeholder pushes to prioritize customer feedback tools in the first release, while a technical stakeholder insists on performance and reliability as the primary deliverable. Meetings are tense and progress stalls.

How should the project manager proceed to build shared understanding?

Answer: The project manager calls a facilitated session with both parties. Each explains their priorities and how they interpret “successful launch.” The group agrees to split the minimum viable product into two phases: phase 1 meets core performance targets, phase 2 targets customer feedback features. Roles, priorities, and success metrics are documented and shared.

Practices for Maintaining Shared Understanding

1. Use Visual Tools

• Process maps, storyboards, or requirements traceability matrices help everyone see how priorities and requirements fit together.

2. Ongoing Communication

• Hold regular briefings and encourage open discussion about uncertainties. Use multiple channels (meetings, dashboards, emails).
• Ensure changes to requirements, decisions, or priorities are always explained to all relevant parties.

3. Monitor for Drift

Regularly check for misalignment by asking team members and stakeholders to restate objectives or deliverables. Look for evidence of emerging divergence.

Revision Tip

Focus on clear, explicit documentation of requirements and agreements—never assume verbal agreements are remembered or interpreted the same way by all parties. Review scope and requirement records regularly with stakeholders.

Handling Virtual or Diverse Teams

In remote or cross-cultural projects, extra care is required. Barriers of language, time zone, and cultural cues increase risk of misunderstanding. To build shared understanding:

• Use video calls for important discussions, not just written updates.
• Be explicit about meeting agendas, next steps, and who documents results.
• Confirm decisions and understanding in writing, circulate for acknowledgement.

Sustaining Shared Understanding During Change

Projects will change. When requirements shift or new stakeholders join, revisit shared understanding as standard practice:

• Schedule change briefings and walkthroughs of updated goals.
• Encourage stakeholders to raise questions or flag confusion.
• Update baseline documents and confirm all parties agree with the changes.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Shared understanding means all stakeholders agree on objectives, scope, and success criteria.
• Two-way, frequent communication and documented feedback are critical.
• Misunderstandings must be identified and corrected quickly.
• Consensus-building involves open discussion, clarification, and written records.
• Ongoing monitoring and feedback are required to sustain shared understanding.
• Extra strategies are needed for remote or diverse teams.
• Shared understanding must be re-confirmed after any major change.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Shared Understanding
• Consensus
• Stakeholder Alignment
• Explicit Requirements