Crafting the message is another important element that affects the individual’s understanding of a project, ensuring that this is correct can avoid serious miscommunication. Others perception otherwise may be the exact opposite of your own. This does not matter whether you are the project manager or a contributor on the team; many situations arise where misunderstanding is down to poor communication.
Crafting a clear message, even if you are just picking up the phone and providing status on something it is still important. When reporting to your supervisor, the status of a project, it may also be necessary to include what action they may need to take, to avoid delays, if the project is danger of running over budget? Do you need to have a review meeting with them? As we will build on later in the book, managing a project successfully has a high level of communication skills and discipline.
Determining what action you want people to take as a result of communication is also vital. An inference in the wrong direction will cause others to be defensive and create a detrimental response to either you or the project.
There is no need to take a position of neutrality, but think through the cause-and-effect of your communication. Consider what you want others to do, what actions they should take, the advice you want them to follow. Try and put yourself in their position if possible, and if you are sending this via email please READ IT carefully before pressing that send button. There’s been many an e-mail where a “retrieve button” is not available. This because the full impact of their communication was not considered before it was issued.
Some of these emails become famous, as they reach the public. The Mike Wilson ones from his stint in FEMA emerged after his resignation following Hurricane Katrina clearly illustrated the need for some improved communication skills. No question he would have used the “retrieve and destroy” function, if it ever existed.
Excerpted from Finish What You Start by Michael Cunningham
