?If done right, informal activities for stakeholder communication are sometimes more effective than formal ones. Think a day out on the golf course, or a lunch date. These are excellent ways to get to know your stakeholders and understand what they require from you.

We set a date once a week on all our renovations to meet on all aspects of the project followed by a team meal. Any attendees that can’t attend in person will call in. Successful projects are based on communication and forecasting to meet the ever changing dynamics we face on a daily basis. I can attest that projects will be competed ahead of schedule and under budget with these key factors.

The architect and superintendent should be made available. Tours of the course. Make sure upfront the stakeholders know the process and time table for different phases and completion of the project. Form an email list of who wants to be notified of what parts of the renovation as they get completed. Send video of the work and key figures working the project. Budget updates, is the project both on time and on-budget.

You find The Channel that each important stakeholder uses comfortably. For some, that could be text messages. For others, it could be email or even a phone call. Next, you try to identify the language that garners attention from all of these parties. Some folks deal with informal language quite well. Others need formalized tone and vocabulary. Confirming how you are going to convey the message, and the words that you’re going to use, are the two most important elements of good communication, effective communication, from the start.