Hello Reader,

I've been asked more than once by project managers who are quietly worried about it: what do you do when your RAG status doesn’t tell the full story?

The traffic light is green. Technically everything is on track. And yet you have this nagging feeling that something’s not quite right, a dependency that’s wobbling, a sponsor who’s gone quiet, a team that’s delivering but only just, and they're not as proactive as they used to be.

RAG is a simple tool for a complicated job, and how you use it matters as much as what colour you pick.

I’ve written two articles on this recently. The first is about communicating RAG status effectively to stakeholders — because “it’s amber” (or yellow if you call it that) is not a communication strategy. Knowing how to frame status for senior leaders, how to handle the watermelon project problem, and how to have those conversations, that's the hard part.

The second is for anyone working in an Agile environment: RAG status in Agile projects. I know RAG is sometimes dismissed as a traditional-PM thing, but in my experience stakeholders want it regardless of your methodology. The question is how to make it work without undermining the way your team operates, and without giving you more admin for your reporting.

Quick reads but they might help you and your team manage status updates a little bit better 🙂

Have a great week!

Elizabeth,

P.S. If status reporting and stakeholder communication are things you find yourself wrestling with regularly, it’s often worth talking through the specifics with someone. That’s what PM Rebels is there for we are a community of project managers who get it.

Other things for you and your team:

• For your summer study plans, and the new PMP exam: my preferred study resources.
• The UK's project and programme data standard makes interesting reading.
• ​Engaging Stakeholders on Projects -- a great read if you want some tips for communication and working with senior leaders.