The Role of Communication

If there's one thing I've learned in a quarter-century-plus of Project Management, it's that communication is a skill to develop and continually improve, and a talent to seek out and nurture in the design team.

I saw a print ad recently, I don't remember for what product, but the tag line was someone saying "... and you will know me by the speed of my replies" or some such, the idea being that emails can now be answered quickly from wherever the recipient happens to be. In this day of smart phones and such, emails can and should be answered promptly. A return phone call should not be put off, good communication means picking up the phone and making the time right away.

I'm often accused of sending long emails and leaving long phone messages. I believe in full disclosure and if my extended reply leaves a tidbit of information that allows the recipient to act right then, rather than after their call/email back, then I've done my job. If the return message means repeating myself, that's not always a bad thing, the reinforcement of communicated data is a valid tool. Verification and validation are not just QA terms, I like to hear important information conveyed 2 or 3 times, in different terms, because that makes for deeper understanding and confidence moving forward.

There are many subtleties in communication, particularly in technical matters, and keeping dialog going, asking questions, and staying engaged is one of the most important Project Management functions.