We are always close to the status of our projects, their process and progress. And our stakeholders or even larger organization may not be. Different people at different distances from the project will have different needs to be informed. And even those who are only tangentially related may want to understand where you are—silence is not a great technique to engender confidence.

Stakeholders will be allies who will help you when they feel a part of the process. If they don't feel like it, they will be less inclined to help you—not because they don't want you to succeed but because they are worrying about every other aspect of their job. Communication is key. Cadence is crucial. Identifying and getting ahead of questions to keep the process transparent and open.

While there is a tactical nature to the communication and outreach, there is a very human sensibility you will develop in understanding when and how to do this, as you work on and with projects of increasing complexity.