What tools and methods can you use to share information effectively with your program team?

Factors for Consideration: Ease of Use: A tool should be user-friendly so that team members can get up to speed quickly, minimizing the learning curve. Accessibility: Given the diversity of devices and locations team members might be operating from, tools should be accessible on multiple platforms, and be compliant with accessibility standards. Security: Especially crucial for projects dealing with sensitive information. Ensure that the tools you choose are compliant with industry-specific security standards. Integration: Look for tools that can easily integrate with the ones you're already using, thereby optimizing workflow. Scalability: As your program grows, the tools you choose should be able to adapt and scale with your needs.

I had the opportunity to leverage #Monday.com and LOVE it! The ease of setting up program tracking, reporting issues for a RAID log is fantastic!

To effectively share info with my program team, I'd mix up formats – using graphs, images, and maybe even short videos to engage everyone. I believe two-way communication is crucial, so I always encourage feedback and answer questions swiftly. LinkedIn is a valuable platform for broader sharing; articles are great as they can be edited even after publishing. But being vigilant and discerning is essential, especially with potential fake job offers. Always double-check and prioritize the safety of your information and network.

?? Personally, tool selection requires deep foresight in program management. ?? Interoperability: Assure API functionalities to allow cross-platform workflows. ?? Global Access: Choose tools that accommodate varied locations/time zones. ?? Methodology Flexibility: Opt for platforms adapting to Agile, Waterfall, etc. ?? Risk Management: Prioritize tools enabling efficient risk strategies. ?? Conclusively, astute tool selection intertwines functionality with methodological adaptability, risk management, and interoperable features, promoting a comprehensive approach to efficient program management and communication, thereby aligning with varied project needs and unforeseen contingencies.

A lot of organisations use Jira - which sadly is NOT a program management tool. So we have to build some program management artefacts along with Jira & a documentation tool (usually Confluence). But it's NOT that difficult. Understand the most important parts of your program to be highlighted - 1. programs and their milestones 2. plans - dates, and targets 3. their current status in Red, Yellow, Green 4. Risks, Dependencies, current issues etc. 5. Next action items and action owners With some work and a combination of Jira & confluence, you can create these pages. If your org uses a real project management tool, then it might be easier to report these points mentioned above

Ease of use of tool, easily accessible with security features are important for communication. It could also have video communication possible

Once you have the right tools (pages, charts, documents, reports etc.), you can define the communication plan. Content of the email / updates should be simple, easy-to-read and preferably colour-coded (RYG). As humans, we tend to grasp colours better. Maybe all Reds should be collected together. Next is the frequency of updates. Maybe you can adjust the frequency also with the colour & criticality of the programs - for fast-executing and critical programs, send twice a week. Over-communication is NOT bad, especially with projects in watch mode.

There are many ways to categorise the updates. You can categorise them on 1. business unit / domain - finance vs engineering vs support etc. 2. priority - critical first, then major, then others 3. colour-coded - all Reds first, then yellow, and then green 4. type of project - all customer projects, then internal, then tech debts etc. Note that the categorisation should be in such a way that projects that need attention / actions should always show on top. No one has time to read hundreds of emails, so it is important to highlight most important sections first.

We humans are generally very lazy when it comes to positive feedback. If the communication is good, we tend to ignore requests for feedback from the requester. One issue or negative incident, we take out our guns and start shooting feedback left, right and centre. Sharing feedback regularly and proactively is very important. If you are a receiver of any updates from program / project management, take out some time and share your observations with the sender. It'll help them immensely. Try this out and see the differences for yourself.

After action reviews are ALWAYS on my list, they need to be a key piece of your project and done with urgency when the project is coming to a close. Depending on your audience and participants, a live conversation with time to think about the experience is great, but a survey can also be super helpful! Always look for ways to engage your team and meet them where they are!

The very first step is to define your needs, only then you will be able to make the right choices for tools and methods. Follow a simple, 5-step action plan: 1. identify the stakeholders with highest priority; 2. list what kind of contribution you expect from those high-priority stakeholders (e.g. decisions about something); 3. identify the information they need to receive in order to be able to fulfil the expectations you listed in the previous point; 4. identify other information that they expect to receive; 5. identify the information that is expected by other, lower-priority stakeholders. With these requirements, you'll be able to identify the tools that enable you to collect the necessary information, and to deliver it.