Project Management Knowledge

Simply explained by a PMI-certified Project Manager

communication

Project Management Etiquette – Why Manners Matter

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In project management, results are what really matter. However, this doesn’t mean you can afford to be completely focused on output and ignore the individual people who make it all possible. In fact, it’s the human component that will make or break a project faster than any other factor. Forgoing the social niceties may seem expedient when you have a lot on your plate; but ignoring the emotional response others have when they interact with you is sure to backfire. It doesn’t matter if everyone thinks you are a dedicated manager who “gets things done no matter what” if people hate working with you. Sometimes, a lack of cooperation and motivation can have the same negative result as outright sabotage.

Here are several areas where practicing good business etiquette can have a real impact on your ability to get things done:

Give Orders…Nicely

Every interaction with your subordinates provides an opportunity for you to practice excellent etiquette. When you are assigning tasks, giving instructions, offering guidance, or providing constructive feedback, couch your communication in positive reinforcement. For example “Jared, I know you like to stay on top of your team’s deliverables so you’ve got a good handle on what’s been done so far and the work that’s still pending. Would you take a look at the current work package and send in your status report by 3 PM today? Thanks.”

Take Turns in Meetings

Even when you are “chairing” a project management meeting, you shouldn’t monopolize the conversation. If you are the only person who is allowed to talk, there’s no reason to have a meeting at all – you could just send a memo. Establish ground rules such as going around the table to ensure everyone has a turn to speak and no one is interrupted. Then, make sure you observe the rules just like everyone else to demonstrate that each person deserves to be respectfully heard. Above all, keep your meetings brief and don’t talk just to listen to the sound of your own voice.

Keep Email Short and Sweet

Email is a form of communication that is intended to save everyone time. If it will take longer for the recipient to read and answer your email than it would for you to simply put in a quick phone call, use the phone instead. Always start your emails with a short salutation (the appropriate level of formality will depend on your relationship to the recipient), then cut to the chase. Close with an acknowledgement that you appreciate the recipient taking the time to read and respond to your email. Keep any personal remarks about others out of your business emails. Any necessary discussion of the shortcomings of a team member should be done in a private, face to face meeting if possible. This will help ensure your words don’t come back to haunt you later.

Conclusion

If your parents ever told you it’s politeness that makes the world go around, they were right. Good manners have a very high ROI in project management because they cost virtually nothing to implement and have a long lasting impact on your relationship with project stakeholders. Being consistently pleasant and professional even when you are feeling rushed or frustrated isn’t about being inauthentic. It’s simply about treating others with the same respect and consideration you appreciate having shown to you. We all have to deal with unpleasant people and situations from day to day. You want to be remembered as someone who makes life easier – not more difficult.

Avoid Communication Pitfalls In Project Management

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One of the most complex and challenging aspects of project management is undoubtedly communication. Unlike other factors that can be broken down into dollars, hours, percentages, or other statistics, communication is primarily concerned with the human element of the project. This introduces a huge number of variables. For example, a project that involves more than one country may require the translation of information and concepts into another language. Even projects carried out within a single culture can face communication problems based on differences between stakeholders (and other environmental factors). These may include:

  • Expectations, attitudes, and personality
  • Education level
  • Industry or field of specialty
  • Medium preference (written, verbal, visual, etc)
  • Organizational hierarchy

All of these issues should be taken into consideration during the planning phase of project management. The “how, who, when, and what” of communication are all impacted by the factors listed above. Here are a couple of methods you may choose to improve the effectiveness of your project communication:

Recognize Distinct Stakeholder Groups

These categories will include individuals who have authority over the project, those who have some input, and those who will be impacted but have little or no control over the process itself. Obviously, communication that requires a response or recommendation from the recipient should be directed to those with decision making capabilities. In contrast, you might want to avoid soliciting feedback from individuals who have no authority to make decisions and whose recommendations are likely to be dismissed. Asking for input and then ignoring it can be worse for morale than simply informing people that a topic is under review and letting them know when a decision is reached.

Inform, Then Confirm

Distributing the appropriate type and quantity of information on a regular schedule is only half the picture in project communication. You also need to verify that information has been received and comprehended. With electronic communiqués, you can have your email system notify you when a message has been opened. However, this doesn’t mean that the person reading it understood the information.

This is particularly problematic when you are communicating a list of incidental actions the reader needs to take that fall outside the scope of his/her usual assigned duties. It is very common for a recipient to miss one or more items if several issues are addressed in a single email. One way to avoid this with simple projects at a small company is by sending instructions for each task in a separate email. For more complex projects, collaborative software that permits multiple users to review, manage, and confirm tasks makes more sense. A good program will allow you to set permissions for who can view, revise, and submit information about tasks, problems, and resolutions at any level of the project.

When a project management system has a built-in communications platform, extensive use of this feature can significantly streamline the implementation of a comprehensive project communications management plan. It will also promote the use of automated reporting to make regular distribution of relevant project data more efficient. Of course, to make the best use of such software, you may need to communicate with stakeholders in advance to encourage adoption of the system.

Creating Clear Contract SOW Requirements

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During the procurement phase of project management, it rapidly becomes clear whether or not your team has an in-depth understanding of each item required to fulfill the needs of the project. Without clear specifications, it’s impossible to put together a contract SOW that allows sellers to submit accurate bids. Often, this problem becomes evident when vendors ask additional questions or simply refuse to quote. At other times, the inadequacy of the contract SOW specs is only discovered when the wrong part arrives.

Sometimes, the mismatch between what you thought you were getting and what is actually ordered can be due to an embarrassingly simple mistake. For example, you might specify 120 two-part widgets for a project. If the vendor stocks each half of the widget separately, you might end up with 60 complete widgets total because each component is being counted separately from the seller’s inventory. Early collaboration between SMEs (subject matter experts) and knowledgeable vendors is one way to avoid this type of pitfall.

Additional Contract Terms

There are other, collateral contract SOW requirements that must also be taken into account if you want to control costs and avoid disputes with sellers. Here are some items that might need to be discussed as part of a contract SOW depending on the type of service or product being procured:

Shipping Negotiations

Who is responsible for insuring parts that are shipped if the freight terms are PPA (prepay and add)? If the vendor is paying the shipping company and adding the cost to your invoice, who technically owns the parts while they are in transit prior to delivery? If the parts are still the property of the vendor, then they are assuming the risk of replacing the items if they are lost by the logistics company. That means the vendor should pay the insurance and not pass on that cost to you. However, if you “take delivery” of the parts as soon as they leave the seller’s dock, then your company ought to cover the cost of shipping insurance.

You might think this is a bit convoluted and not something you should have to deal with in project management. But it’s the kind of detail that can shut an entire project down if a critical part is lost in transit and the vendor refuses to ship a replacement because of an argument over who should have insured the item. Be aware that terms such as FOB (free on board) technically apply to the ocean freight industry and do not have an agreed upon legal meaning for ground transportation. Your contract SOW should spell things out rather than using acronyms that may mean different things to different people.

Continuing Maintenance

Ongoing support for equipment or (upgrades for software) are items that can impact the ongoing cost of operating a system that is put in place during a project. These issues can’t simply be dealt with in the future if you are serious about responsible project management. The costs need to be nailed down and set in stone before a contract is signed to move forward with a purchase. Otherwise, there is no way to keep the vendor from having an “unexpected and regrettable” price increase once you’re locked in to using their product.

Little Extras

Sometimes, it’s the small stuff that matters. If you are procuring an item that should come with a user manual, other documentation or schematics, these need to be mentioned in the scope of the contract SOW. The order will not be considered complete until all these miscellaneous items are delivered. The final contract should contain acceptance criteria language covering your company’s recourse if a product or service is inadequate, incomplete, flawed, or delivered late.

Authority And Accountability In Project Management

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The environment created by a specific corporate culture can have a significant impact on project management outcomes. Fully understanding how to work effectively within the context of a particular organizational milieu comes with time. However, there are some things you can do to prepare yourself to really take control of a project in an unfamiliar setting.

Get Ready to Take the Reins

If you have recently begun managing projects for a new employer (or if your company is partnering with other businesses to carry out a project), it’s time to learn the ground rules for how each organization works. One of the most important questions you need to have answered is “Does my level of authority match my level of responsibility?”

Too often, project managers must attempt to accomplish objectives in an environment where their role is not viewed as having significant value. In these situations, your authority may be undermined and you may find yourself without the resources to accomplish the goals of the project at hand. Address the issue of who controls the project management process early on instead of waiting until this problem has escalated to the point where your efforts are doomed for failure.

Don’t Be a Doormat

In Western business cultures, straight talk that cuts to the chase is often viewed favorably as a sign of leadership. Put together a list of the types of decisions you must have the ability to make and the resources you need in order to do your job. Present these along with an explanation of the positive outcome your stakeholders can expect if you are given the appropriate amount of clout to do your job properly. Give examples of the types of issues that have occurred in the past when you were placed in a position of managing a project without actually being permitted to manage effectively. Do this calmly and with a little humor so it doesn’t come across as whining.

Don’t Be a Dictator

Even with a high degree of influence, you won’t simply be able to snap your fingers and get things done. There will always be a certain amount of negotiation and “horse trading” involved in getting your project requirements met. Obtaining buy in from your peers is an art form and a science. Make it clear that you are expecting a highly beneficial outcome for your project. People like to be associated with success. Offer to take on full accountability for project management in exchange for cooperation (or at least non-interference). This way, you are letting stakeholders know that the buck stops with you – but that you are willing to share the limelight if and when things go right.

Do You Work Effectively with Your Procurement Department?

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As a project management specialist, getting what you need when you need it is imperative for a successful outcome. This means you have to work closely with your company’s Procurement Department (Purchasing). If you are constantly at odds with the purchasing agents, this can hamper your ability to work effectively. Things don’t have to be this way since your departments share some of the same goals (to stay on track and under budget). Here are 4 possible areas for improvement in communication and collaboration:

Give Early Notice

If you are commencing a large project, the Purchasing Director may need to assign a buyer full time to fulfilling your requisitions. That impacts the manpower available to devote to other tasks. As a professional courtesy, you should keep the Director apprised of the scope of upcoming projects. Don’t simply send over a huge list of required items and services that will take Purchasing by surprise. When buyers have to scramble to get things done, costly mistakes are much more likely.

Plus, you might think an item is available off the shelf when it actually has a 6 week lead time. When you make assumptions, your project may experience unexpected delays. The more information the Procurement Department has up front, the more accurate your overall project management planning will become.

Don’t Make Agreements

Unless you have the authority to spend your employer’s money, never agree to buy anything from a vendor. This applies to verbal statements and written contracts. The number one way to make your Procurement Department angry is by usurping their authority. When they have to go back and renegotiate a deal and break promises you made to a vendor, this makes their job much harder than it should be.

If you do speak with vendors directly, it may be OK to ask for initial price quotes. However, make it clear that you are only doing a preliminary investigation into costs and that a purchasing agent will be in charge of any further discussion. Don’t try to haggle about pricing – you may inadvertently disclose information that should be kept confidential. Experienced buyers know how to finesse vendors and maintain control of the conversation. It is in your best interest to leave negotiations to trained purchasing agents.

Double Check Your Specs

You and your staff members are the experts on what you need to complete your project. This means you are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the specifications for the components, equipment, or services you requisitioned are correct.

A good purchasing agent will do his or her best to become conversant in the technical terminology required to discuss your project requirements. However, buyers often handle the procurement of dozens (or hundreds) of different items in an average week. This means there is a limit to how much new knowledge they can absorb. When they buy exactly what you tell them to and it turns out to be the wrong item, you will take the blame for the mistake.

On the other hand, you need to be on the lookout for buyers who substitute a cheaper product in order to get a better price. They may be under pressure to do this to stay within budget – or simply to enhance their next performance evaluation. For critical components, always ask to see the final specs prior to order placement. Make this type of request politely in writing (email is fine) so it will be taken seriously and you will have a copy of the correspondence for your project management records.

Prepare to Defend Your Preferences

The Purchasing Director typically has the final say over which vendor will be awarded a contract or purchase order. If you have a preference for using one vendor over another, you must be able to clearly show how this choice benefits your company. Buyers are expected to be impartial in their decision making process and they expect the same attitude from you.