Simple Communication Skills Are Essential Tools
for Project Management Effectiveness
By Vanessa Brown, PhD, PMP
As a former classroom teacher, I was stuck in a “teacher-centered instructional mode” for over 15 years. This was an essential skill taught in college in order to delver vast amounts of information to students, but eventually led to my developing insufficient listening skills. This hindered by ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, as I transitioned into project management.
I was not even aware of this deficiency until I began to notice that my husband’s most often repeated phrase during our conversations was, “you are in your teacher mode again”. This became a blaring clue that I was not really listening, therefore, not really communicating effectively.
As project managers, we see the vision, the processes and methodologies, the responsibilities of our project team, the units of work to be done, the schedule that must be kept to get the work done on time and within budget; but sometimes, may stumble upon an obstacle that can delay producing the project’s deliverable, or effect the level of commitment or cooperation of your colleagues – lack of effective communication skills.
The primary goal of any project is to get the job done on time, within budget, avoiding scope creep, to produce a high quality deliverable. But we often forget that we must get the job done by working with and through people, which requires effective communications skills.
Communicating seems like a simple enough task to accomplish, but until I re-discovered the effectiveness of the following skills, I remained stuck in my “teacher mode”, with the primary goal being – to be heard. Are you stuck in a “teaching mode”” Try practicing these communication rules taken from Dorene Lehavi, Ph.D. principal of Next Level Business and Professional Coaching:
1) Listen without judgment. The key to good communication is listening well. Save your judging for later after you have heard and understood what was said.
2) Listen with the willingness to be swayed to the other person's opinion. No obligation to actually being swayed, but stay open to the option.
3) Listen without thinking about what you will say next. Take time before you respond.
4) Do not be invested in being right. Being right is not the point. If you must be right, you are not able to neither listen nor communicate, because you have set up a barrier already. If you are always right that means the other person is always wrong. That cannot be true.
5) If your mind wanders, ask for repetition. We all are subject to distraction. Try to stay focused.
6) In all cases repeat back what you heard and ask if it is correct.
7) Listen to yourself. Find quiet moments and pay attention to what you are hearing from yourself. Does your body tighten up about certain issues? Body language is not something to read only in other people.
8) Say it honestly, but with consideration for the listener's feelings. Be polite, respectful and sincere.
9) Understand and acknowledge that most things are not black or white, but somewhere in a gray area. Get comfortable with gray.
10) Have integrity and build trust. Don't say what you don't mean. Don't promise what you won't or can't fulfill. Follow through with any commitments you make.
Good listening and communication skills take practice. As project managers, this is a skill that we cannot ignore and must seek to improve on a continuous basis.