“There is no mystery that good communication is cited as a factor common to all successful projects. When people work together to accomplish a unique goal, they need to coordinate their activities, agree on responsibilities, and reevaluate the cost-schedule-quality equilibrium. Consciously setting up the mechanisms that enable communication—status meetings, reports, change management — puts the project on a strong foundation. Project communication structures make it easier for people to interact, but they are not enough to bring about good communication. Project managers need to set the tone for project communication. They accomplish this by:
- The discipline they display in using the communication channels. For instance, if the project manager routinely circumvents the change management process, it quickly loses its authority in the eyes of all stakeholders.
- The attitude that they display when interacting with any stakeholder. Is the project manager combative? Honest? Free with information? Judgmental? Assertive? Communication is the foundation of relationships.
- Along with the structures to enable communication, a project manager needs strong communication skills.Negotiating, listening, conflict resolution, writing, and many more skills affect our ability to work with the many people we encounter on every project.” – Alex Puscasu, excerpted from his article, “Project Management: Close-Out Reporting“, at APE, click here to read the article in its entirety.
Well said! PMO Advisory offers courses throughout the year designed for project professionals interested in Portfolio (PfMP), Program (PgMP), Project (PMP & CAPM) Risk (PMI-RMP) Management, and Agile (PMI-ACP) certifications.
