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Communication

April 09, 2004 | View Comments (8) | Category: Project Management

Summary: The importance of communication in project management.

As a project manager there will be a lot of skills that you need to work on, however if you were to choose only one, then let it be communication. Without good communication skills then all your other skills will be rendered insignificant. The only reason you might be dubbed the project manager is because of your communication skills. Dictionary.com provides us with this definition of communication:

The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior.

Life would be much easier if we could just communicate through our blogs.

The project manager should have the innate ability to try and simplify the words of their team so that everyone understands what is going on. If you can communicate effectively to get your point across then you are heading down the right path. A good sign to see if you are effectively communicating the purpose of the project (or whatever) occurs in meetings. If nobody asks any questions once you are done explaining, then probably you did not do a good job of communicating.

For me the most difficult task of communication involves translation. This is not translating from one language to another, but from translating the message of the developer to the stakeholder. Sort of like when we try to show the importance of web standards. At times we need to do a better job of translating their benefits.

Rock Your Body

When you are in pursuit of the opposite sex (or whatever tickles your fancy) many times it is not important what they are saying for the most part, but how their body is reacting. The same applies to project managers. Be careful about the motions and signs you show while communicating to your team or the stakeholders. Finger-pointing is not usually a sign of pleasure. Most of the time the person who is finger-pointing is also thinking "that this person is an idiot and there is no chance in hell I am working with him."

A Giant Teddy Bear

To me a great project leader is someone that anyone can talk to. The project manager must actively try to develop a rapport with every individual on the team. Honesty and active listening go a long ways. Ever have a recommendation for you manager to only be told you have no idea what you are talking about? I have.

I am not saying that you should try to become everyone's best friend, but you definitely do not want to be seen as someone separate from the team. Some developers love to talk about their work, while others tend to stay to themselves. It is your job to learn the personalities of each member of your team.

Danger, Danger

As is evident in the blogosphere, computer people can have short tempers. Nobody likes to be disrespected publicly and the same goes in the workplace. Throw out compliments in public, but when it is time to put your foot down, do so in privacy. Many people (especially here ;) can be blunt and straight to the point. You must be careful of this approach as it turns many people off because it can come across as being offensive and aggressive. Learn tact.

Again the importance of knowing your people is vitally important. Each individual is motivated through different methods. Some people could care less how much you yell at them. They are not going to change. Here is a story that I would like to share:

I worked at a large corporation where all the old guys were always the "important" people. One day a new manager comes in and decided to shake things up (the company needed a lot of shaking up). The manager developed a new plan and setup a new work environment that many people gravitated towards with the exception of Bob (I like using Bob as fake name).

Bob was at the company for an extremely long time (my guess would be since 951 B.C.). He knew how important he was to the company and therefore felt he was entitled to do whatever he wanted. Well the new manager threatened many times to fire him if he did not change his ways and join the rest of the team. Bob never balked. Didn't even flinch.

After the manager tried almost every means possible to motivate Bob he went for one of the most brilliant tactics I had ever heard of. He wrote a letter and invited Bob into his office. He told Bob that no one knew about the letter except himself and Bob. The letter explained what he wanted from Bob and that Bob was fired. He told Bob he had two weeks to decide what to do, but at that moment he was fired.

Bob didn't come back the next day, but he came back the second day with a new attitude. Life was good again. This story was told to me by the manager several years after it happened.

Don't know how relevant that story was, but I liked it. Anyways, communication is a skill that must always be practiced as it will become the most valuable in your skillset. Plan to communicate.

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