Project Management and 4 Communication Mistakes to Learn From

Project managers spend hours communicating daily in the form of meetings, emails, calls and more and we still make mistakes...

Bruce Harpham (the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com, a resource for growing IT project managers) shared the top of communication mistakes that contributed to company problems, tragedies and disappointments. For more effective communication he suggests learning from anti-examples:

• Failing to Follow Up on Critical Information: Lessons From 1945

In July 1945, the U.S. Navy lost the USS Indianapolis to a torpedo attack. Hundreds of people died. The tragedy was initially blamed on the ship's captain. But years later, the truth was revealed—and the ship almost certainly could have been saved with better information.

Always follow up when you have a mission-critical piece of information to communicate. Avoid assuming that sending a single email or mentioning the change once is enough. In the heat of the moment, this might feel like annoying extra work, but it is well worth the effort.

• Beware Silence in the Face of Delays: The Crosstown Project

Project delays are a constant reality in project management. The uncertainty of project planning and surprises make it tough to avoid delays. Most stakeholders will agree, in the abstract, that project delays are inevitable. When a project delay occurs, it's vital to communicate effectively. The cost of communication mistakes can be counted in billions$. One example comes from the Crosstown public transportation project being built in Toronto, Canada. With a $12.8 billion ($9.5 billion U.S. budget), the project was initially scheduled for completion in 2022. In December 2022, the CBC reported: "The internal records state there's a ‘lack of a credible plan’ to finish the LRT, and there's no mention of when it might finally open."

The lesson for project managers is clear: When missed deadlines happen, make it a priority to communicate with all stakeholders. Silence in the fate of delays can only harm the project's credibility.

• Surprise is Rarely Helpful for Big Change: Wizards of the Coast

The next example of communication failure comes from gaming. Let's look at how Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), the popular Dungeons & Dragons game producer, recently communicated to its community. To understand this mistake, some context is necessary. In 2000, the company released the Open Gaming License. This license allowed third parties to create products and content based on WOTC content. By any measure, the OGL was an incredible success. It encouraged many fans, companies and publishers to create content about the game and promote it widely at no cost to WOTC.

In late 2022, the company communicated a significant change to the OGL that caused an uproar in the community.

The communication failure in this situation is twofold. First, there appears to be a lack of any meaningful consultation with the community about these changes. Second, issuing this change in late December—when many people plan to disengage from work and aim to enjoy the holiday season—doesn't seem ideal.

This communication failure applies directly to communication and change management. Imagine your company launched a project to change employee compensation systems and processes. Absent thoughtful communication and consultation, such a change could easily cause panic among the organization's employees.

• Poor Bedside Manner Backfires

The final communication mistake comes from medicine: physician/patient communication. Poor communication with patients (also known as "bedside manners") appears to have a significant negative impact on patients and doctors in the form of lawsuits.

With some creativity, it's clear that this kind of communication mistake applies to project managers. The solution is to work on developing empathy and reflect on communication with the following reflection questions:

• Do I need to communicate something that might upset the other person?
• Am I calm and ready for the conversation?
• Am I prepared to listen to the person's reaction and engage with them?

Rushing through critical communications hurts patients and can have negative implications for project managers.

We all make mistakes—it's part of the human experience. The key is to aim for improvement. Take a moment to reflect on some of your recent communications on your project. How can you communicate differently in the future based on what you've experienced?

shared lessons provided by Bruce Harpham (the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com, a resource for growing IT project managers), March 2023