One of the traits of an exceptional project manager is being an effective communicator. You will need to articulate your thoughts and ideas to the business, stakeholders, advisory boards, project team, or any impacted team or group in the company. In addition to providing information, you will also need to know how to extract information. You will want to brainstorm with your team, receive feedback from the business, and encourage employees to ask questions and offer ideas.
You will communicate via formal meetings, informal conversation, email, and telephone. You will be in charge of facilitating meetings, managing resources, providing updates, and tracking the flow of information. (See 5 keys to running a meeting effectively.)
But what is “good communication”? If people leave a conversation, meeting, phone call, read a document, or email and are more confused than before they listened to or read the communication, the result for them is bad communication. If they come away feeling enlightened and informed, you have done your job.
Here are key things you can do to become effective at communicating:
PUT AWAY DISTRACTIONS
Your sole focus should always be the person(s) you are communicating with; people always know when your attention is averted elsewhere. By allowing distractions into your conversations, you will be portraying a rude attitude and creating mistrust between you and your audience. Your audience will not provide you with their undivided attention if you are not providing yours; this will result in you not being able to portray your message accurately. When in a meeting turn off your phone and only use your laptop if you are using it to present.
INSTILL TRUST
Your message will be welcomed and better received when your audience trusts you. To acquire trust, you should be personable, confident, appropriately dressed, well composed, and authentic. Always practice the messages and understandings that you wish to deliver to the audience. Be mindful of your say-do gap and minimize it as much as possible; when you say you will do something, do it. When you fall through on your promises, you will lose trust. A trusting audience will be more engaged; providing you with their feedback, asking questions, and offering suggestions. That will be a win-win for both parties.
BODY LANGUAGE – USE YOUR EYES – BE ENGAGED
Whether you are standing or sitting, body language plays a significant role in the acceptance of your message. Maintain good posture and eye contact throughout your entire presentation. Be animated and use your body to portray your message. Your facial expression should also mimic your message. Be engaged and sit forward at the meeting table. You should not recline in the chair as this will look as if you are disengaged and will not instill a sense of two-way communication between you and your audience. Positive body language and energy will be remembered, and thus, your message will be remembered too.
STAY ON TOPIC
Only discuss the specific topics for which you had called the meeting. This will mean ridding yourself of unnecessary conversation fillers. Your message should be brief, clear, and precise. You do not want your message to be tainted with information that your audience is not required to use or to remember. Everyone should leave the conversation with a very particular message of how the project will impact them or their respective teams.
TAILOR YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR AUDIENCE
Your message should always reflect your audience. Are you rolling out a new software program? Your message to the stakeholders, project team and impacted employees should be different even though you are speaking about the same topic. Tell them why you are talking to them, how they will be affected by proposed changes, or how their opinion matters. Tailoring your message will be more effective than just drafting one blanket message and sending it to everyone in hopes they can decipher which parts are important to them.
LISTEN
Gain more respect and trust from your audience by listening. Do they have concerns, questions, or inquiries? Make a point to acknowledge each statement and repeat questions. Provide answers when you can and make notes to follow-up if questions arise that you can’t answer right away. Your audience will appreciate you listening to them and will make a greater effort to listen to you.
EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Email is now a major part of communication. Each email you send should be professional and well written. Include a proper greeting and keep the body of the email precise. Sign off with thanks, your name, and your contact information. You should make a point to return emails promptly, even responding to the ones that were sent to you in error. Also, if you cannot answer the inquiry that was sent to you forward it along to the appropriate person, so you are helping the sender find the information they have requested.
THANK YOUR LISTENER
Your audience gathered to hear your message. Maintain your politeness and thank them for their time and for listening to you. Gain rapport with your audience and they will be more inclined to listen to you when you have another message to deliver.
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