Building trust across multiple reporting lines

Remember that executive meeting I mentioned? 🤔 After we established our visual value mapping approach, I realized something critical: Different stakeholders need different versions of the same truth. The CFO, CIO, and business unit leaders all care about the PMO's value—but for entirely different reasons. My breakthrough came when I stopped using one-size-fits-all reporting and started tailoring our message to each audience. Here is how we transformed our communication strategy: 1. Stakeholder Segmentation Matrix We created a simple but powerful matrix mapping stakeholders by influence and interest. For each group, we defined their - primary concerns, - preferred metrics, and - communication frequency This became our roadmap for all PMO communications Example: The Finance team, received ROI and cost variance metrics weekly, while business leaders received the capability delivery and business impact monthly. 2. Language Translation We literally created a "translation dictionary" for PMO terminology, where Technical terms became business outcomes, and Project metrics transformed into value metrics. - Before: The project is 87% complete with a CPI (Cost Performance Index) of 1.2 - After: We have secured $1.2M in operational savings, with final implementation next month 3. Right-sized Reporting - Executives: One-page executive summaries with strategic alignment highlighted - Middle management: Focused performance dashboards relevant to their domain - Project teams: Detailed delivery metrics and forecasts ✅ The Result: - Stakeholder engagement increased dramatically. - Our project updates were no longer ignored but actively sought after. - When funding decisions came around, the PMO wasn't questioned—we were consulted. 😇 Key lesson: It is not about dumbing down information; it's about translating it into currency that matters to each audience. Sneak Peek: In the next post, I'll share "Implementing Continuous Value Demonstration: Staying Relevant". 🔯 Stay tuned! 🪄 Source: My Real-world experience from navigating complex stakeholder landscapes across multiple enterprise PMOs. #StakeholderEngagement #ExecutiveCommunication #PMOValue #StrategicLeadership #ProjectGovernance #BusinessAlignment

I've been thinking a lot about the art of building trust across teams, especially when you don't have that coveted formal authority. In my role as Chief of Staff, I'm the strategic, operational glue. Sounds neat, right? But what it really means is navigating a landscape where authority isn't handed to you with a title. Some observations: 1️⃣ Listening is underrated: People talk about communication, but listening is the starting line. It’s incredible what you can learn when you stop waiting for your turn to speak. The most ineffective thing you can do is pretend to listen while rehearsing your own monologue in your head. 2️⃣ Default to transparency: Share more than you'd think is necessary. Information asymmetry breeds distrust. A lack of clarity can erode trust quicker than an undelivered Slack message. Keep the information highways open. 3️⃣ Credibility is your currency: Execution builds trust. Follow through on small promises and people will trust you with bigger ones. If you say you're going to take notes, take the notes—and then follow up with a summary. It’s not sexy, but showing you care about the details shows you respect the person. 4️⃣ Get comfortable with ambiguity: Teams look for steady hands in turbulent waters. I've found that staying calm when things aren't clear signals stability. Teams will trust the person who doesn't flinch at uncertainty. 5️⃣ Ask great questions: Not the obvious ones. Dig deeper—and not just for the answers, but to show you're genuinely interested in understanding the whole picture. It’s amazing how quickly a well-placed question can break down barriers between teams. It’s a craft, really. Trust isn’t built with grand gestures but with consistent, small actions. At the end of the day, I aim to make the company a bit smarter every week. Helping teams feel connected, informed, and aligned is part of shaping that intelligence. What strategies do you use to build trust in your teams? Always keen to learn from different perspectives. #Leadership #TrustBuilding 👇 Feel free to share your thoughts.

Don't make this mistake when starting a new role: not building RAPPORT fast enough. Hard work alone won’t get you noticed if people don’t see the value you bring. That’s why I’ve created a guide to help you hit the ground running: ➡️ First 30 Days: Start with a listening tour. Get to know your key stakeholders, their needs, and their goals. Then, create a gap analysis that outlines the common needs and how you can address them. But don’t stop there. Share what you’ve learned with your stakeholders in a centralized meeting. This is your chance to introduce yourself, your role, and how you add value. Feel uncomfortable “selling yourself”? Reframe it as opening a conversation and building partnerships. ➡️ First 90 Days: As you execute quick wins, continue communicating by sharing your refined project plan with stakeholders. Highlight the early results you’ve delivered (e.g., new collateral, updated personas). The more quality work you produce, the more trust you’ll build. You’ll be invited to strategic meetings and asked for input, giving you a real seat at the table. ➡️ Beyond 90 Days: With quick wins under your belt, standardize your touchpoints. Set up regular 1:1s and alignment meetings with content, growth marketing, product, sales, and customer success. These meetings should be 2-way conversations. If they’re one-sided, rapport still needs work. As priorities solidify, turn these touchpoints into formal enablement programs like monthly competitive intelligence updates. ---- Following this framework will help you build the trust you need to succeed as a PMM. What would you add? #productmarketing #productmarketingmanager #newjob #careergrowth #careercoaching