Listening is defined as “hearing with attention”. I like that definition, because some project managers hear but don’t listen to what is being communicated. In some cases the individual may also be nervous about bringing this news to you, and may therefore emphasize certain parts of the problem and not others. This is one reason why an initial reaction to the issue should be avoided if possible.
For example, a team member may let you know that they are going to miss an upcoming deadline and that the primary cause of this is another person or vendor not delivering what they need. After you listen to the issue and examine all factors, you may find that the problem is more like half the vendor’s problem and half the other team member. If you immediately react to the message the vendor is late, the fact that your team member did not provide them with an earlier deliverable may have caused the problem in the first place.
This is an important point in project management, if your team members know that you react badly to bad news, they will try and avoid delivering it to you. My earlier point of shooting the messenger applies here. As a project manager, you want all the news about the project, both good and bad. This is needed to take the necessary action when issues arise.
Once the problem is known, then take the necessary time to assess its impact on the project. By determining the severity of the issue, the action plan that will result may differ considerably.
Excerpted from Finish What You Start by Michael Cunningham
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