This is one of my favourite stakeholder management tactics, and I can’t believe I haven’t written about it before! It actually ties in really neatly with this post I wrote in August about being reliable.

🎉 The no-update update

The no-update update is when you proactively tell your stakeholders that you don’t have an update.

Even though it might seem counterintuitive to draw people’s attention to the fact that you don’t have an update for them, it actually creates a lot more trust and reassurance. Your stakeholders feel comfortable that when there is an update you’ll keep them in the loop – it’s basically saying, “I haven’t forgotten about you!”

You’ll get a feel for how frequently (and how formally) you need to give your no-update updates based on your stakeholders, the urgency, and the size of the impact. But remember, don’t fear giving the no-update update! It’s much scarier to be chased up.