Almost every guide or resource on Project Design I've ever read tells you to 'consult your stakeholders', almost none of them tell you how to actually do that -- how to functionally engage people when not everyone can be a decision-maker, and how to keep people engaged when realistically you can't do what they want.

In Part 2 Matt and I get into how to navigate these real-world situations. He shares:

• How he 'closes the loop': His approach to maintaining stakeholder engagement even when you can't incorporate their input.
• Why you should cook your projects, not bake them: How rigid, detailed plans often become straitjackets that hurt implementation (and what to do instead).
• The people principle: Why human dynamics - not templates or PowerPoints - determine whether your project succeeds or fails.

If you're tired of project design feeling like some abstract theory or a bunch of buzzwords, well I can't promise that this will solve all your problems. But I can say that Matt gives his honest take on what has worked and not worked for him IRL, and I really think you will walk away with some useful insights.

The bottom line of all this: Projects are implemented by people, not plans. Design accordingly!