Bullseye Communication

I read the line twice. "Ninety percent of a project manager’s time is spent communicating." I was confused. How could I spend ninety percent of my time communicating when there was so much planning and work to be done?

I had wanted to become a project manager for some time and looked for every opportunity I could to gain experience and devour each book or article I could find on the subject. There were chapters on creating the perfect work breakdown structure, calculating earned value, managing risks, and creating schedules, but surprisingly little content on something that was supposed to comprise 90% of our time.

What I failed to understand at the time but came to learn is that the purpose of all the tools and techniques of project management is communication. The purpose of the WBS is to communicate scope. A project schedule and Gantt chart communicate what needs to be done, what resources are required, when it must be done, and by whom. In addition to the formal communication methods I expected, I learned that every tool and technique of management has a component of communication, and if I was not spending at least 90% of my time communicating, I was not managing or leading properly.

You spend 90% of your time communicating

With so much time spent communicating, it is important to have a simple model to ensure we are doing it well and that it is having the desired effect. Fortunately, we have an easy-to-follow model in the field marshal’s cry of "Ready, Aim, Fire!"

Ready

????????Know your purpose and what you hope to achieve as a result of the exchange.

Aim

????????Know your audience - their personality, experience, emotions, goals, and needs.

????????Select the best method of communication.

????????Select the right location for communicating.

????????Evaluate outside influences (noise) that could impact message delivery and adjust as necessary.

Fire

????????Select the correct timing to reduce the impact of outside influences.

????????Deliver the message:

????????At the right speed

????????Emphasizing important points

????????Clearly and without ambiguity

????????Paying attention to your verbal and non-verbal

????????Listening for verbal and nonverbal cues from the receiver and adjusting while delivering if necessary

Evaluate

????????Ensure there is two-way communication.?One-way is barking - not communicating.

????????What did the receiver hear and how did they interpret your message?

????????If your message missed, why did it miss? Resolve this before firing again.

????????Adjust aim and re-fire until you hit the bullseye.

Communication is much more than what we say, and yet it is simply a tool. There is a purpose and goal behind every form and method of communication. If those goals are not realized, we have not participated in actual communication. Remembering the simple phrase "Ready, Aim, Fire"?can help every leader communicate in a powerful and effective way.?It will take a lifetime to master, but it is worth it for something we spend 90% of our time doing.

? 2018 Todd P Heath All Rights Reserved

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