Council Post: The Importance Of Communication When There Is Change In A Company

Jeannette is the CEO of Lurdez Consulting Group. She brings over 20 years of project management success to her work helping companies.

When it comes to project management, no matter what type of project you are immersed in, a number of changes that you cannot predict (and that might carry their own difficulties and specificities) will probably affect its dynamic. The way you handle those bottlenecks is key to increasing your power of adaptability and flexibility. 

Adaptability refers to both making the best use and combination of important tools, such as technical knowledge and methodology, and paying special attention to the human factor and the opportunities that it brings within. How do you think you will be capable of executing a project successfully if there is no proper communication among your team? 

Throughout my experience as an information technology project manager and program manager, I got used to hearing people complaining and saying their projects had failed because they were not using the ultimate technique or method. I have seen organizations spending great amounts of money trying to figure out why they were not succeeding. But they were forgetting about the connection among their people, teams and, the greatest resource of all, communication. 

Communication not only eases the process, but also generates a synergy that promotes a better understanding of what you and your team are working to achieve. Also, it facilitates cooperation and helps to develop a sense of belonging that will guarantee that everyone is on the same page and up to the task. Sharing a common vision of the project and its goals with your team is a vital part of the process. 

So, how do you improve communication among your team when change is happening in your organization?

1. Listen attentively. Take a pause and let the other person finish their thought process before you interrupt. When you are empathetic, you will open a pathway that will encourage the other person to communicate better.

2. Be open-minded. When you are in disagreement with somebody, don’t come across like your point of view is the only important one. Be open-minded, and try to determine if the other person’s perspective can be part of the solution. It doesn’t have to be your way all the time. You work in a team environment, and the perspectives of all team members should be taken into consideration.

3. Show respect. Call the person by their name, and if you are on the phone, do not multitask. Ensure that you always focus your attention 100% on that person.

4. Demonstrate passion and confidence. When you demonstrate these two characteristics, you are letting people know you care. In my experience, this will motivate people to give it their all and ensure they do their best.

5. Consistently provide feedback. Do not wait for a person to fail to then let them know they are in trouble. Provide feedback to every individual member of your team on a consistent basis. They will appreciate you taking the time to do so, and they will be able to adjust their approach and meet your expectations. Always remember that everyone has a different way of doing things, and if you are not satisfied, then you need to be fair and let them know in advance so that they can meet the expectations.

Now, taking these words to heart, let’s visualize two possible scenarios and see how the way you communicate during the management of a project can either solve or exacerbate a problem. 

Scenario A 

Time is one of the most valuable resources we have; it establishes the length of the project and the budget, so it is really important to meet the deadline. 

Picture this: Jane is a project manager at a renowned company, and she is in charge of guaranteeing that everything is on point before the deadline so that the company does not lose money. Unfortunately, Sophie, a key member of the team, could not finish her task on time. 

Jane decides to address the issue with Sophie by saying, “All you had to do was finish your task before Monday. You have let all your teammates down because of your poor time management skills, and now I will have to take responsibility for you.”

Sophie then says, “I am really sorry, Jane. I never wanted to let you down. I had trouble figuring out the best way of completing my task, and I did not know what to do or who to ask for clarification.”

But Jane’s response is, “Well, now you have proved to me that you are not up to the task.” 

In the end, Jane fires Sophie, and the project comes to a halt.

Scenario B 

In Scenario B, imagine the situation and characters are the same, but the way of communicating — and thus actually solving the problem — is different: 

To have clear, constructive communication, Jane instead says, “Sophie, I need you to tell me what went wrong. Let’s see what you had difficulties with and hopefully figure this out together.” 

Approaching the roadblock with clear communication might mean the project takes a little longer, but it can be finished with all the team members’ will and effort. 

Therefore, it is essential to think about how you are communicating with your peers and what message you are transmitting. In my experience, the troubles you might face throughout a project do not matter as long as you are capable of using strong communication skills between yourself and the members of your team. As a result, you will guarantee a solid foundation for all the eventualities that you might encounter later.

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