A steering committee is a group of senior stakeholders who provide direction and support to the project team and make decisions outside of the project team’s authority. It’s headed up by the project sponsor and ideally consists of decision-makers who can help remove roadblocks and share alignment with the project’s strategy. Without their support, your project may struggle to get the resources and approvals it needs to succeed.

That’s why it’s so important for the project manager to deliver a strong presentation during the steering committee meeting. A flawless presentation can help build trust with your senior stakeholders, demonstrate your control over the project, and gain approval for important decisions. But if your presentation is weak, you may struggle to get the support you need, harming your reputation and credibility in the process.

To help you wow your audience at the steering committee meeting, we’ve put together a list of tips and best practices. This guide will help you prepare a flawless presentation, with clear metrics and supporting documentation, and outline next steps for the project. With this guide in hand, you’ll be well-prepared to impress your senior stakeholders and gain the support you need to ensure project success. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take your presentation to the next level. 

Tips & Best Practices for Project Steering Committee Meetings

• Purpose of a steering committee is to help the project manager remove roadblocks and share alignment to strategy.
• Steering committee meetings are a great opportunity to show that you’re in control of your project and to demonstrate key achievements.
• Preparation is crucial and you must come with a flawless presentation and be aware of the emotional state of stakeholders.
• Presentation should include a reminder of key elements of the project, such as scope statement, priority matrix, roles and responsibilities, and overall timeline.
• Use a PowerPoint presentation to support the presentation, but do not read from bullets.
• Knowing key project numbers, such as budget, time spent, and scope delivered, is important and should be presented in clear metrics on one slide.
• The steering committee also involves scrutiny of project progress, so it’s important to be prepared and have supporting documentation easily accessible.
• The project update section should use a stoplight system to indicate deliverable status, with green meaning on track, yellow meaning potential risk, and red meaning an issue that needs immediate attention.
• The approvals and discussion items section should have one item per slide, with details on the issue, potential resolution, and expected action from the steering committee.
• A slide dedicated to the top risks and issues should be included, with mitigating actions prepared and owners assigned.
• Action items should be captured and monitored through the presentation, and next steps should be outlined for the next meeting.
• Minutes should be captured within 24 hours of the meeting and highlight key achievements and benefits to the end users.
• Keep presentations sharp and to the point as you’re communicating to senior stakeholders and don’t provide unnecessary detail.
• Attendees may challenge the presenter or apply pressure, so honesty and admitting when you don’t know something is the best response.
• To keep the meeting on track, capture concerns and move on to the next agenda item, and avoid opening the floor to random topics at the end of the meeting.