Everyone knows that communication is a key part of a successful business, but when it actually comes to communicating, very little credence is given to it.
The first hurdle then, is to convince your project teams that communication is vital for success. Ah yes, success!
To do this, you can explain that communication is:
- one of the top five challenges to change programmes
- fundamental to business change
- fundamental to winning stakeholders’ heads, hearts and hands
- used to inform, involve and influence
- used to get stakeholders to take action
- used to reduce resistance to change
- used to set expectations and prepare stakeholders
Once your project team is convinced, you then have to deliver on these expectations. You don’t want your project lessons learnt report to say “We should have had better communication.”
There are many pitfalls for comms managers. The least we can do is follow a few basic rules to maximise the chances of “successful communications”. Ask yourself the following questions:
What is my intended message and outcome? Is my message clear?
Who is my audience?
How will I communicate?
When will I communicate?
What will I do to check the understanding or to get feedback?
(Source: ComputerWeekly)
