Building trust through small wins in govtech

I walked into a room full of frustration. The project was off track, the budget was bleeding, and trust had worn thin. As the new project manager, I had 30 days to rebuild what was broken not just the plan, but the relationships. 💡 Here’s the exact trust-building strategy I used to shift the momentum - one conversation, one quick win, and one honest update at a time. ▶ Day 1–5: I started with ears, not answers. 🎧 Active Listening & Empathy Sessions I sat down with stakeholders - one by one, department by department. No slides. No status updates. Just questions, empathy, and silence when needed. 💬 I didn’t try to fix anything. I just listened - and documented everything they shared. Why it worked: They finally felt heard. That alone opened more doors than any roadmap ever could. ▶ Day 6–10: I called out the elephant in the room. 🔍 Honest Assessment & Transparent Communication I reviewed everything - timelines, budgets, blockers, and team dynamics. By day 10, I sent out a clear, no-spin summary of the real issues we were facing. Why it worked: I didn’t sugarcoat it - but I didn’t dwell in blame either. Clarity brought calm. Transparency brought trust. ▶ Day 11–15: I delivered results - fast. ⚡ Quick Wins & Early Action We fixed a minor automation glitch that had frustrated a key stakeholder for months. It wasn’t massive, but it mattered. Why it worked: One small win → renewed hope → stakeholders leaning in again. ▶ Day 16–20: I gave them a rhythm. 📢 Clear Communication Channels & Cadence We set up weekly pulse updates, real-time dashboards, and clear points of contact. No more guessing who’s doing what, or when. Why it worked: Consistency replaced confusion. The team knew what to expect and when. ▶ Day 21–25: I invited them to the table. 🤝 Collaborative Problem-Solving Instead of pushing fixes, I hosted solution workshops. We mapped risks, brainstormed priorities, and made decisions together. Why it worked: Involvement turned critics into co-owners. People support what they help build. ▶ Day 26–30: I grounded us in reality. 📅 Realistic Expectations & Clear Next Steps No overpromising. I laid out a realistic path forward  timelines, budgets, trade-offs, and all. I closed the month by outlining what we’d tackle next together. Why it worked: Honesty created stability. A shared plan gave them control. 💬 In 30 days, we hadn’t fixed everything but we had built something more valuable: trust. And from trust, everything else became possible. Follow Shraddha Sahu for more insights

The Credibility Gap..................... One of the hardest lessons for vendors to learn is this: the NHS buys trust before it buys technology. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen brilliant solutions dismissed, not because they lacked value, but because they lacked credibility. From the NHS buyer’s perspective, the stakes are enormous. If they choose wrong, patients suffer, clinicians revolt, and budgets get burned. So when a new vendor appears promising “game-changing” results, the default response is suspicion. That’s the credibility gap. Organisations often think they can bridge it with a slick sales deck, a strong demo, or an impressive product roadmap. But the NHS doesn’t want promises — it wants proof. Proof that your solution has worked in environments like theirs. Proof that clinicians have embraced it. Proof that it’s safe, compliant, and scalable. Without that, you’re invisible. The best route forward is usually small. Start with a pilot in one department, one ward, one Trust. Prove your solution works at a local level. Gather data, capture testimonials, and — most importantly — tell the story in NHS language. When you can show that a pilot saved 2,000 hours of clinician time, reduced waiting lists by 8%, or improved staff retention, you shift from “vendor” to “partner.” You’ve closed the credibility gap. The organisations that win don’t just build technology — they build evidence. They build trust by being in the system, learning its rhythms, and showing results that matter. If you’re trying to sell into the NHS today, ask yourself: what’s my credibility story? Can I point to a success that proves I belong here? 👉 What’s been your most powerful case study in selling to the NHS — and how did it open doors for you?

Lessons Learned from Implementing and Operating a PMO in a Challenging Government Context 1. Embrace the Culture A PMO consultant must live and breathe the government culture to build trust and credibility. 2. Follow Modern Methods Using pragmatic frameworks like AGPMO ensures a tailored, value-driven PMO implementation. 3. Build Trust and Team Synergy Trust is key. Learn to work with diverse personalities and avoid judging difficult team members—they often play crucial roles. 4. Align Vision with Personal Goals Inspire your team by linking the PMO’s vision to their personal aspirations. 5. Motivate and Empower the Team Recognize contributions, foster growth, and celebrate team successes as your own. 6. Optimize Roles and Foster Innovation Place team members where they excel, encourage creativity within boundaries, and focus on strengths. 7. Use a Hybrid Approach Balance waterfall contracts with Agile principles to ensure compliance while delivering value. 8. Leverage Quick Wins and Focus on Goals Achieving small victories builds momentum. Stay focused on long-term objectives. 9. Manage Change and Communicate Effectively Engage stakeholders, address resistance, and foster alignment through clear communication. 10. Build Relationships Across Departments Schedule regular meetings to showcase PMO value and build collaboration. 11. Conduct Audits and Verify Data Regular site visits ensure accuracy. Treat data as gold but verify it firsthand. 12. Celebrate with Caution Recognize achievements without overhyping to avoid creating tension. 13. Stay Patient and Persistent Government processes are slow, but persistence pays off. 14. Align with Strategy and Document Lessons Ensure PMO goals support the organization’s strategy. Capture insights for continuous improvement. By applying these lessons, I aim to foster results, collaboration, and trust. Feedback is always welcome!

When I walk into a government agency office to discuss technology transformation, I know exactly what questions are coming before anyone opens their mouth. Security & Privacy lands first. Every time. The procurement director leans forward, adjusts their glasses, and asks why we need access to citizen data. Behind that question sits decades of watching private companies mishandle public trust. They're not wrong to ask. Then comes the AI conversation. A couple months back, a state CIO told me point-blank that their legislature banned anything with "artificial intelligence" in the description. The irony? They were already using machine learning tools. They just called them "advanced analytics." Data sovereignty follows close behind. A city manager in a southern state once spent forty minutes grilling me about where every byte of data would live. Down to the specific data center addresses. When I showed him our US-only infrastructure map, he visibly relaxed. But there's one often-missed hill that so many projects have died on: Change Management. I once watched a brilliant digital transformation initiative die because the agency couldn't handle moving from paper forms to digital ones. The technology worked perfectly, but the staff revolted. Six months later, they were back to carbon copies. The companies that succeed spend as much time on the human side as the technical architecture. They bring skeptics into the design process. They pilot with volunteers, not mandates. They celebrate small wins publicly. Because change is a human challenge as much as a technical one.