Communication is the Common Denominator

January 12, 2016
tile design project management tool

As a Project Manager, the most valuable tool that I have in my toolbox is communication.  It’s a Swiss Army knife that can bring teams together, solve problems, and ensure client satisfaction.  I believe communication is the common denominator when leading successful projects. 

At ivision, communication is full circle – 360 degrees.  It’s our consulting engineers discussing solutions with solution architects during the SOW process.  It’s our engineers sharing lessons learned at project closure with other project teams.  It’s client advocates leading engagement kick-off calls and sharing information about clients to solidify client satisfaction.  It’s also the executive team holding monthly company update meetings for the staff to share their vision and direction.   As project managers, we externalize this need for communication and help facilitate it amongst various teams and departments within the company.  We strive to keep people out of silos and promote cross collaboration at every stage of engagement.

Tips for promoting communication in your own organization

  • Know your audience and tailor the communication to them.  Not everyone absorbs information the same way.  Make the extra effort to customize the message to the audience and you will have a higher chance for the end recipient to understand the information. Many will appreciate you going the extra mile.
  • Utilize various methods of communication – email is the gold standard as it saves time and is very efficient. But, picking up the phone or having a face to face meeting might be a better solution in certain situations.
  • Be proactive.  Don’t wait until the last minute to communicate.  Take the time to anticipate issues and strive to eliminate them before they surface by communicating to the parties that can help provide resolution.

My parting thought is a quote from Tony Gaskins: “Communication to a relationship is like oxygen to life.  Without it, it dies.”  Nurture all of your relationships with good communication and see how they flourish.