Mastery Point
The Web of Communication
I keep seeing article after article extolling the virtues of negotiation, leadership, “managing up”, etc. as the peak functions of project management. It is true that all of these are senior level skills that prove you are performing at the highest level. However, I see a real lack of discussion on the importance of communication. You can’t perform at even a post-beginner level without being halfway decent communicator.
My favorite question to ask in an interview for a new hire PM is, “What is the most important skill a project manager has to have to succeed?” The correct answer is “communication.” Truth be told, I’m not going to hold it against the candidate if they have a good answer and solid reasoning to go with it. I’m more interested in seeing how they think through such a seemingly wide array of possible answers and how they justify their choice. It should be noted that all of the people that answered “communication” turned out to be fantastic members of the team and were successful in their roles.
So, aside from good speaking and listening skills, the primary driver of communication in the PM’s role is the communication plan. I’m not going to go into the various ways you can form a plan. There are endless resources online where you can learn about stakeholder analysis, RACI matrix planning, etc.
I would like to present a metaphor that might help the newer PMs understand the true value of a solid communication plan. When you read something that states, “being able to anticipate obstacles before they happen” you might wonder how one develops this magical skill of divination. Aside from experience in the type of project or a thorough review of the lessons learned database, the best way to stay on top of potential roadblocks is to have great communication from PM outward and clear, effective incoming channels of information.
Think of it as a spider web. If you aren’t familiar with how a spider uses their web: when an insect flies into the web, it gets stuck. The spider immediately senses the tremors through the web network and scurries immediately to the insect to trap it so it can’t get away. The better the web, the more insects get caught.
If you build a communication network that can act as a channel of important information and can ensure that all stakeholders and team members can communicate proactively, it is easier to be proactively ahead of the upcoming roadblocks. The better your communications, the more useful and impactful it will make you. Whenever you feel the rumblings occurring in your communications, you can be quicker to respond. The stronger and more thorough your communications are, the more obstacles can be avoided.
Now the real danger here is that poor communicators will take this as license to have hour-long daily stand-ups and weekly 3 hour project update marathons. That couldn’t be further from my intended message. The less efficient you are with updates, the more people will ignore them. Less time in meetings, more time doing. Show the important data, but only spend time discussing items that are new, pressing, or making progress in the short-term. Be sure reports that roll-up to the project update are in and compiled before the meeting. Keeping a 20 member team on the phone for 20-30 minutes to review the week’s progress and issues is great. Keeping everyone for 90 minutes, making everyone sit and listen to the update while you type on the screen, is NOT. People start asking to leave before the end, because they feel it is a waste of time for them to sit. This is a weak spot in your web. If something important is brought up that stakeholder would have been helpful with, they are no longer there to respond.
Efficiency in decision making, listening skills and negotiation will all improve your communication with the team. The more you respect their time, the more likely you are to receive active input and participation when it is most important. Treat everyone’s time as precious, including yours.
The algorithm of successful project delivery has a multitude of variables, and communication is one of the most important. Let Mastery Point help you evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of your communication planning process.
