What's your secret to clear and concise project communication?

My experience as port terminal operator, the principal aim with my team is to focused on process, and set objectives. Communication during this process is very vital because interaction is both internal and external. All parties must have a real time update and follow up. The success of efficient operations lies in communication. I think transparency and honesty is also an important aspect to consider when communicating. Everyone in the team must have a sense of fulfillment at the end.

Very important point. By knowing your audience and have clear information on who your project stakeholders are makes it easier for the PM to have a communication plan and know when and how to get people informed of important updates concerning the project

Clear and concise project communication is essential for successful collaboration and achieving project goals. Good Communication can help us in different areas like: 1. Defining Goals/Objectives 2. Better understand your Audience (stakeholders, team members, clients, etc.) and interact accordingly 3. Getting Feedbacks 4. Be Succinct, get to the point fast. 5. Organize Information better, Structure your communication logically. 6. Stay Relevant 7. Open to answer and ask Clarification

It’s very important to understand what you are communicating & to whom. Also as a project lead it is your duty to understand what type of communication your audience understands to enhance productivity.

Communication is a technique though which complex task can be conveyed in easy understandable language by using professional example. Method of communication could be written or oral but it should be two way.Taking feedback through electronic or non electronic mode is an essential component to complete the project without any hurdle on time. Bullet points, question and answer session, input in tabular form , graphics etc are the some of the example of communication technique.

Communication is the key for success of every project. Having crisp and simple communication is very vital and key to success, not only in project but in every aspect of profession and personal life. Not only writing or speaking completes communication, Listening is much more vital in completing communication. If we listen patiently before reacting or responding, it ensures clear communication. And, apart from verbal communication, non-verbal communication is also an aspect which if utilized effectively, contributes to complete communication.

For me transparency in project metrics and tasks adds to the communication much more than you think. For example a BVC or Kanban Board helps communication by acting as a radiator for information. From there using story telling in your push notifications with optional pull metrics in a project report also adds to how well we communicate. You don't necessarily need a formal communication management plan because the best forms of communication happen organically. Identify the communication need and fill it, then you gather feedback for improvement. However the basis is a good information radiator that helps people ask the right questions.

Without a communication plan, sometimes people will overlook details of the project and missed out on important details which can negatively impact the outcome of the project. It is best to always have a communication plan that will pinpoint and track the progress of every stakeholder.

Our teachers used to teach us in school to write down if we had any questions & then ask them later. Why? Because it is easy to skip out on a topic while communicating, but what happens if this was your only call/ meeting with the respective person? It’s no good, that is why it is very important to plan the communication well in advance with proper chronology to avoid such hiccups.

In my opinion fancy words always ruins the objective of that conversation. I absolutely agree with providing examples & visuals while communicating because it helps the other person retain the conversation. This method is tried & tested.

In other words, put yourself in the audiences' shoes, that means use their language and tailor your messages based on their background and context ensuring that all your public communication materials are culture sensitive.

In my experience, chunking information helps to ensure that what is being communicated is broken down into chunks of more manageable and meaning blocks. Along with clear and simple language, structure is needed.

A picture can paint a thousand words…it’s true. The ability to show an unknowing audience what a roadmap or timeline is or impact on a failure is better in pictures and will drive interaction and questioning of the information presented.

Language should be understandable and brief to the point. When readers are forced to pause and refer to google for certain meaning, the communication is lost

Immediate feedback is encouraged to ensure the audience got the communication right. As such the environment should be conducive for such feedback to come forth, especially in high level conversations that involve people in power and their juniors.

Ask your audience with a smile on your face that if they understood what you have just communicated. Give them some time to process the information & welcome them to ask questions.

Honest communication, when welcomed, builds trust. Knowing that you are not perfect will demonstrate your ability to work on the gaps.

One of the habits I’ve found helpful, is to ask each stakeholder their preferred methods of communication at the beginning of the project. Then, I request feedback on whether or not the project communications met their expectations this far. Another great way to ensure you are building a rapport with your sponsors, stakeholders and team- is to apologize when they bring up an issue. Most people want to be heard, and by having radical accountability (even if it’s something outside your control), we can build trust.

Active listening is often a challenge for people learning professional engagement. An easy trap to fall into is being more concerned with a scripted response, rather than being fully engaged with your audience. Make sure to give them the time and attention they are giving you. Often people will even express their appreciation if you take a moment to think about what they said and respond in kind.

Communication tools in bigger teams are essential. Having various phases and tasks where the team can collaborate on together. The tools also help me and my team with keeping the various tasks on track to see where or when we fall off the pace.

Keep your audience attracted, excited and motivated: customize and contextualise the communication tools based on your audiences needs and accessibility.

How a project team communications should be co-create. The channels a team uses and how they use these channels should be discussed, defined and utilized by all team members to ensure expectations are aligned.

It's common to find hear people talking about how difficult for them is to "prepare their speeches". I put to you an alternative point of view: - Prepare yourself for any speech (#Toastmasters!) - Prepare yourself "FOR": THIS speech, THIS audience, THIS target call-to-action... - Deliver your speech, which is your ad-hoc performance, with a very deliberate target in mind.

Communication is zero when the message sent by the sender has not been understood by the receiver. Great communicators use the most appropriate language(s) to communicate with the different strata of stakeholders. Communication is not about creating personal impressions rather it is about achieving the desired common goal.Communication can only be verified as complete when the feedback aligns with the message communicated.

Yes, you have to invest time and money in training yourself. Please consider the cost of ignorance... Like in any training, once defined your goals, the speed at which you invest time and money, in closing whatever knowledge gap you have, is directly how fast you stop wasting the cost of ignorance..

Communicate in a way that is appropriate to the situation. At work, quite often people want the facts, not opinion, and for it to be said in as few words as possible. This applies to both written and spoken communication. When instructing or coaching, seek to use more descriptive words and share examples of past experiences. When presenting, become a storyteller to engage the audience, taking them on a journey.

Remember that as the Project Lead or Manager you are not the expert, same with being a Business Analyst for instance, you will work with a team of Subject Matter Experts from whom you will derive the relevant information in order to carry through your deliverables . It is thus important to not only identify who your stakeholders are but to also know how it is that your roles can complement eachother to achieve the desired end goal of the organization.