Articles and Tools: Three Principles for Project Success: Communicate, Communicate,
Communicate
Communication is more than exchanging information
Updates on a daily basis are positive. Weekly updates are a must. But
loads of emails that flood with you information can be a distraction, burying important details and making it impossible to organize or find what you need when you need it..
For effective communication, It is important that information conveyed in a meaningful format
that keeps the right people "in the loop" and aware of important
changes. It is also important to be able to find information and keep
information together in one place so nothing slips though the cracks.
Tips for communications
Have a consistent format for people to communicate.
Make sure you have a standard means to pull the right information
from people. It should be one that everyone understands. Otherwise all
your time is spent trying to figure out what is going on, and things and
you will have no time to figure out how to deal with issues and risks.
Keep It Simple and Succinct
Is delivery expected to be on target with plans? Will it be early
or late? Have any major issues come up since the last communication that
merit discussion or attention? Have targets changed?
Beware the ego
There are ways to phrase questions such that you can get more objective, thoughtful answers. Consider the difference between the following two approaches:
- Approach 1
"How confident are you that this is a realistic timeframe - and
what concerns do you see"
- Approach 2
"Are you going to deliver Thursday?"
Approach 1 allows the person to take a step back and consider the situation, whereas approach 2 immediately engages that person's sense of self and professionalism. Approach 2 can quickly shift focus to the ego. In some cases, if you think someone is not sensing urgency the second approach may be appropriate. However, when used inappropriately it can have the effect of discourage a person from raising important
issues, risks or concerns.
Track changes, issues, risks and requests
Keeping a log or list of changes helps you detect trends, prepare for contingencies, and understand
what people are facing. You can then identify where changes are needed
or propose alternate courses of action where appropriate. And when you need to consider different courses of action or give others a complete picture of why a change may be needed, they have all the information they need to see things in context.
Effective communication is key
As one project manager observed, there is no source of problems more common in projects than communication. At the same time, effective project communications can reduce risk, improve efficiency and help you identify better solutions. |
