Effective Communication in Projects
Communicating effectively is key to project success, but if we don’t take into consideration the diversity of those participating in our projects we may miss the mark in conveying the message appropriately. Add to this the fact that we have gotten accustomed to instant and short messages through voice mail, text, and email, our message could become even more distorted.
Most communication comes from body language and tone, and only a small percentage comes from the actual words we are using, as can be seen in Image 1 below. For this reason, it’s important to make sure we are getting the right tone as wells as words across to our project stakeholders and team.
This weeks’ analysis of a message sent 3 ways (email, voice mail and text) is a prime example of the precepts displayed in the image above. The first message sent via email conveyed urgency, but it’s attempt at empathy did not come across as totally honest. In the voicemail, one could hear the tone of voice which was able to convey not only the urgency, but also the empathy for the predicament of the person receiving the message. However, the face-to-face communication was the most effective because now the body language was added, which shows the receiver that you really feel empathetic for their situation, but your situation is also important and you need them to act on the problem.
When communicating with stakeholders and the team, the Project Manager needs to balance between being diplomatic, empathetic, getting the job done, and making sure all communication is formally documented. Therefore, communicate face-to-face when possible, but always follow-up with a written message reiterating the face-to-face conversation to make sure everything is documented.
Image credit – Image 1 Retrieved from: https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/MCS/9362/Sterilisation%20disk%203/lo/7373/7373_00.htm