Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

Factor</h1>Among the many factors that are causing this, I believe that our own human nature and psychology play a big role. As humans, we have a tendency to assume that people will understand exactly how we interpret things in our minds.Or that whatever we communicate to the other person, the way we communicate it, will be fully understood.Let’s say for example that you are in a meeting, and everyone is fully engaged in the task at hand. Energy is flowing, brainstorming is in full effect, brilliant ideas are being generated, and everyone is in agreement.When it’s time to reach a decision, however, nothing solid is in place. Vague suggestions are thrown such as:<ul><li>“Let’s discuss this after the meeting..”</li><li>“We propose to..”</li><li>“We shall review and revert..”</li></ul>Specific, measurable action points with clear intentions never follow, however. Who will discuss it? When will it be discussed? When is “proposed” going to become “confirmed”?<h1 id="0aad">Non-existent processes</h1>I’ve noticed from my experience that people oftentimes assume that verbal communication equals having a communication process.Although verbal communication is perfectly valid, verbal communication is part of the overall picture.The same goes for written communication — it can be part of the communication process. Information exchanged between personal messages can be interpreted as official and then acted upon.It is easy to misinterpret that by simply exchanging information, there are procedures in place because that’s how we communicate in our personal lives.Business contexts however vary significantly.Unless an approved procedure ma

Options

kes the communication channels that the information is being exchanged through official — either verbally or in writing — then the information cannot be considered official until it is transferred through the established channels.<h1 id="82b4">The Solution</h1>You can avoid this by having clear communication protocols. This can be achieved by:<ul><li>Defining your types and forms of communication: What types and forms of communication do you mostly engage with? Is it for major project updates? Day-to-day operations perhaps? Is it via email or a messaging app (Slack, Teams)? Or is it mostly verbal? Write these down.</li><li>Understanding which forms are used for which types: For example, details exchanged between two colleagues while working on a task in the same room can remain verbal whereas major project updates should be communicated in written form. The frequency and recipients of each type of communication can also be determined. Map these out.</li><li>Setting up communication channels: Having the above mapped out you can then begin setting up the tools you will be using, and create the relevant channels. According to your mapping, your team will know what to say through which channel and when.</li></ul>Last but not least:Be proactive and specific. Avoid, as much as possible, statements that lead to no definitive actions, and always try to anticipate the next steps of a conversation.Specificity and proactivity will get you far.And remember, tailor these to your needs. For a small team of 4–5 people, many of the above will be reduced to simple emails and verbal exchanges. In contrast, a large company will likely have different protocols depending on the hierarchy level.</article></body>

The Costly Assumptions Regarding Communication in Project Management

How to make your communication visible

Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

It’s no secret that communication skills are at the core of a good Project Manager. Well, it is actually a core skill for any individual in any profession for that matter.

Many people nowadays claim to have “expert communication skills” and “strong interpersonal skills”.

While that may be true up to a certain point, we keep seeing miscommunications happening within projects on a constant basis. High project failure rates are costing lots of dollars to businesses worldwide.

Of course, these numbers are not attributed to communication alone. But arguably, a large number of them can be correlated to that. And if it’s not directly related, then I’m sure that somehow down the line if you dig deep enough you will find that a problem occurred when something was not communicated properly.

How is it that something so apparent is still so prevalent? After all these years of business innovation and efficiency, how is this still happening?

And, how do you mitigate it?

The Human Factor

Among the many factors that are causing this, I believe that our own human nature and psychology play a big role. As humans, we have a tendency to assume that people will understand exactly how we interpret things in our minds.

Or that whatever we communicate to the other person, the way we communicate it, will be fully understood.

Let’s say for example that you are in a meeting, and everyone is fully engaged in the task at hand. Energy is flowing, brainstorming is in full effect, brilliant ideas are being generated, and everyone is in agreement.

When it’s time to reach a decision, however, nothing solid is in place. Vague suggestions are thrown such as:

“Let’s discuss this after the meeting..”
“We propose to..”
“We shall review and revert..”

Specific, measurable action points with clear intentions never follow, however. Who will discuss it? When will it be discussed? When is “proposed” going to become “confirmed”?

Non-existent processes

I’ve noticed from my experience that people oftentimes assume that verbal communication equals having a communication process.

Although verbal communication is perfectly valid, verbal communication is part of the overall picture.

The same goes for written communication — it can be part of the communication process. Information exchanged between personal messages can be interpreted as official and then acted upon.

It is easy to misinterpret that by simply exchanging information, there are procedures in place because that’s how we communicate in our personal lives.

Business contexts however vary significantly.

Unless an approved procedure makes the communication channels that the information is being exchanged through official — either verbally or in writing — then the information cannot be considered official until it is transferred through the established channels.

The Solution

You can avoid this by having clear communication protocols. This can be achieved by:

Defining your types and forms of communication: What types and forms of communication do you mostly engage with? Is it for major project updates? Day-to-day operations perhaps? Is it via email or a messaging app (Slack, Teams)? Or is it mostly verbal? Write these down.
Understanding which forms are used for which types: For example, details exchanged between two colleagues while working on a task in the same room can remain verbal whereas major project updates should be communicated in written form. The frequency and recipients of each type of communication can also be determined. Map these out.
Setting up communication channels: Having the above mapped out you can then begin setting up the tools you will be using, and create the relevant channels. According to your mapping, your team will know what to say through which channel and when.

Last but not least:

Be proactive and specific. Avoid, as much as possible, statements that lead to no definitive actions, and always try to anticipate the next steps of a conversation.

Specificity and proactivity will get you far.

And remember, tailor these to your needs. For a small team of 4–5 people, many of the above will be reduced to simple emails and verbal exchanges. In contrast, a large company will likely have different protocols depending on the hierarchy level.