Projects come in all shapes and sizes. You might be managing a long term implementation or organising an event alongside your everyday work. Either way, communication is vital for the project’s success. In this blog, we will look at the first of five vital skills for project managers – communication.
A third of projects fail due to a breakdown in communication, which project managers can easily avoid.
Why is communication so important?
Project Managers need to gather and share large quantities of information to co-ordinate the efforts of all involved. Dealing with all the details, dependencies, decisions, and approvals is impossible without consistent and timely communication.
Effective communication keeps conflict and confusion from slowing a project down. It ensures that key players are aligned on project goals and know what is expected of them. Team meetings will also run more smoothly as people will come prepared with the required information. Furthermore, it helps build team-wide trust so that everyone works together better from project start to finish.
How to keep track of it all
A simple but practical communication plan has clear guidelines . These include sharing information and recording what needs to be communicated. Everyone involved in the project will then know what to expect. Hence, they will be able to communicate with each other effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, It is essential that any changes or challenges that may affect time, budget or deliverables are communicated in a timely way.
Taking advantage of technology will help you communicate more effectively. This will help you recognise and remove barriers to communication.
A good Project Manager will build relationships that help projects move along smoothly. To do this, he or she needs to actively listen to the team and ask the right questions. Doing this, they will really understand what is happening. By being available, open to discussion and willing to adapt, they will set a tone of positive collaboration and communication. Projects will be more successful as a result.
Conclusion
The Project Manager has to have an effective process with clear lines of communication. This will enable the Project Manager to feel secure in the knowledge that everyone is kept in the loop. They can then focus on the tasks and problems in front of them. Teamgantt.com has some excellent and free Communication Plans you can download along with more useful tips.
This concludes part one of five vital skills for Project Managers. Don’t miss the next blog in the series, when we will be talking about Leadership
If you wish to learn more about this topic, take a look at our Introduction to Project Management and Effective Communication courses.