Successful projects need a comprehensive narrative

Every project must have a compelling reason. Building a road, railway line, port expansion or a mine must have a comprehensive narrative that can be understood and communicated at all levels.

Questions leadership teams must ask themselves include:
  • What is the purpose?
  • Why here and why now?
  • What is the economic, social or community benefit?
  • Does risk outweigh the benefit?

Within this stakeholder context, it is now increasingly important to define the negotiable and not-negotiable project elements. What elements are set in stone and which are open for optionisation? Critically, stakeholders seek clarity. It is important to recognise in any given project there are known-knowns, and there are unknowns and providing a level of transparency can support trust.

Just as disunity is death in politics, a failure to proactively communicate effectively can lead to disastrous results for projects.