Communication (the project’s core)

The project’s success is a chain made by effective communications followed by accomplished tasks.

(this has been inspired by a Napoleon’s quote)

The amount of energy spent by people to deliver their assigned job depends by both the emotional involvement and the clarity (feasibility) of the request. In other words, the force of the message can overcome the “natural” inertia. This includes any action for retaining  “reserved” information, marking the turf and so on.

During the project’s life time, there is a point when almost every stakeholder needs some information. In another occasion, the very same person holds another bit needed by someone else. Alas, the human, professional and organizational differences make almost impossible to exploit each single instance, in order to avoid delays. Therefore, the organization of this activity has to receive the same priority as the budget. In fact, it is the key to deliver results.

The “Communication plan” is about responsibilities and eventually techniques for obtaining raw data and information about the ongoing situation.
Like any other plans, it needs all stakeholders’ participation. To make it working, people will consider it as a covenant. In that agreement, everyone has to find the leadership spirit.

As project manager, we spend a lot of energy for preparing and updating these kinds of plans. There are at least, two reasons behind this behavior:

1. The pressure for completing our own tasks.
2. The force of “leading by example”. The hard fact of having dutifully prepared all our papers confirms our professional attitude.

The dutiful attitude is a natural part of our professional toolbox. It is essential to give a broader interpretation of responsibility.

Have you been lured to spend long hours in issuing the “perfect” plans? Those will defeat the riotous retentive stakeholders. In my experience it resounds childish. Managing means to deal effectively with people, the plan preparation is just one of the required activities.

Maintaining a steady flow of information, is at the core of managing projects. This needs (at least) all these steps.

How much effort will be spent on the following actions?

1. Planning what is necessary to know.
2. Finding the best way to obtain the information.
3. Asking for it.
4. Receiving it in a useful time span.
5. Analyzing it within its proper frame.
6. Making the necessary evaluation.
7. Taking the related decision.
8. Delivering the elaborated information to the right person.
9. Being sure that the taken decision (a specific kind of information) will be understood (if not accepted).

In the process of evaluating the necessary global efforts (“Iron triangle”) how much room is destined to this activity?

Conclusion

Once the senior management has committed themselves to the communication (this can take many forms, from a handshake to allotting some resources to set a proper system up) the main job of the project manager shall be devoted to grant that the flow of data within the stakeholders had enough information for carrying through their tasks.

More readings

projectsmart.co.uk
msdn.com
communote.com.