Ensuring What You Say Makes Others Understand What You Mean
Posted Friday, July 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm by Andy (11 posts)
Communication is a tricky thing, for most people and in most contexts. In the context of a project, communication is a critical factor in its success and the satisfaction of all of the parties involved. For a project manager, communication is fundamental to our job. The biggest communication problem we face is that we often think we have been clear about something when in reality the other person did not really understand the key point. This is a byproduct of a number of things, two of which I see all of the time: 1) The project manager’s desire to explain things in terms that are not too jarring; and 2) the limited time both parties have to transmit, receive, and comprehend a message.
Take for example a client request for something that is critical and requires an immediate turnaround, but which was not included within the project scope and will have a definite impact the on budget. The first instinct for the project manager may be to say, “This request is out of scope and you will need to approve it before we can address it.” The client may then reply quickly, “Yes, I understand. You have our approval to move forward on this time sensitive issue.”
At the end of the month, when an invoice is sent with the additional cost, the client asks why the invoice is higher than expected. Just saying that something is not in scope does not imply that there is a monetary cost associated with it in everyone’s mind. It is always best to be direct. In this example, the project manager should have said, “This request is not in scope, and will have an additional cost above and beyond what we are currently contracted to do. I know that this is a time critical issue – we can provide you with an estimate for you to approve, which could take some time. However, If you are comfortable with knowing there is an additional cost, we can address the issue without an estimate. If you choose the latter, is there a threshold of cost that you do not want us to cross?” By explaining everything in detail, the client has a clear picture of the implications and has the choice of how to proceed.
From this single example, you see both factors at play. The client was in a rush to address a critical problem, and the project manager was in a hurry to get resources set up to meet the need. You can also see how it is less harsh to say that something is out of scope and will require approval than it is to say that it will cost more money. This is why good project managers often seem to over-articulate everything. It is better to slow down, be clear, and reinforce what you are saying. In the long run, it will be better for everyone.
