Start By Asking "Who?"

The What matters, but so does the Who.

When beginning a new project, one of the first things you must do is understand what the heck you're supposed to create. What's the deliverable? What is the product, service, or result you will focus everything in the Project upon? What is the Scope?

Ah, but this begs the question of Who? Exactly who is the Scope intended for? These entities—the Key Stakeholders of a Project—are the people that know what the Scope is supposed to be and why it’s needed. They’re the end users, the customers, the funders of the project. They have the answers to not only What, but also Why, How Good, When, and How Much?

Project Management experts often say you begin a project by defining its Scope, but you can’t do that until you first identify—and talk to—the Project’s Key Stakeholders. Successful Project Managers always start by asking “Who?”