Excellent Communication Delivers Successful Projects

Projects run an intense, fast-moving business environment and the partnership with the business and its suppliers, needs excellent communication.

Many project problems are due to poor communication. E.g.

Differences in expectations.

Project managers need to work to make sure that everyone has the same information on what is to be delivered, when and at what cost. This is normally stated in the Project Definition Document (PID).

However, many project managers don’t keep their project team and stakeholders up-dated. In this case, information can start to get out-of-date very quickly.

Surprises!

If people are not kept informed about what’s going on, they will be surprised when changes happen.
For example, if you are going to miss your deadline date, you want to make sure people don’t find out after it on deadline day.

Proactive communication means that you highlight this issue as soon as it becomes a risk, which gives people a chance to correct the problem. Then you can keep people up-to-date on the status, so that if you finally have to declare that you cannot meet your date, people are well prepared.


No one knows what the state of the project is in

In some projects, people are not really sure what the project status is.

As a result, your project team and senior managers can’t make the best decisions if they don’t have the correct information. 

Also, if they aren’t sure about what’s going on, they have to spend extra time contacting you to find out. This usually means frustrated contacts and more work for you!

People hate Last-Minute Panics

This is a major cause of problems, caused when the project manager does not communicate proactively with other people about things that will impact them.

When the communication does finally occur, it is at the last minute and everything is rushed.


Team members don’t know what’s expected

Poor communication also occurs within a project team. Some project managers do a poor job of talking with their own team, for example, when tasks are due.

Again, all of this causes extra work and extra frustration on the part of the project manager and team members alike.
 

What’s the solution?

1 – Focus on the Receiver of the Communication 

The key to communicating is to keep the receiver as the focal point not the sender. Try to think about what the receiver needs to carry out their project tasks and what information that will be most helpful to them.

So, if you are putting together a project status report, put in all the information necessary for the project team member to understand the true status of the project, including tasks, issues, risks, design changes, etc. If you are going to need a resource in the future, communicate proactively with the department manager or external manager as early as possible. Then keep reminding them as the time gets closer.

2 – No Surprises – Over-Communicate where Necessary

If you ever surprise someone, it is a sign that you are not communicating effectively. So, if your team or senior management is confused about their tasks or project timing, think about whether you communicated to them effectively.

3 - Be Pro-active in your Communication

Proactive communication can help overcome many other mistakes. Use communication it to your advantage to help your project go smoothly with less frustration, less uncertainty and no surprises.

All businesses need to deliver results on time and on budget

• Defining the project accurately, systematically clarifying objectives
• Planning the project by splitting it up into manageable tasks and stages
• Executing the project by carrying out actions
• Controlling the project through its stages using the project definition as a baseline
• Closing the Project

• Take the 3-day Foundation course first and the a  2 or 3-day Practitioner upgrade after 4 or 6 weeks
• Take a modular course - 1 to 2 days over 3 weeks 
• Take a Distance Learning course and study at your own pace