Communication as a tool for the Project Manager

While I was preparing to take up the PMP certification, I read somewhere that a Project Manager spends up to 90% of his time on communication. I realize the truth in this!
Even as the debate rages on whether communication is an ‘art’ or a ‘science’, we’ll leave it to the debaters. I would just like to focus on the fact that a Project Manager needs to be an effective communicator as he is the visible face (or the audible voice) of the project. He is the liaison between the all the stakeholders (includes the clients, vendors, the team and all and sundry). The sole responsibility to successfully carry the project through, rests on his shoulders.
To be an effective communicator the Project Manager needs to understand and inculcate the ABCD of communication.

A – Attitude:
This is the most desirable trait that the Project Manager must possess for him to communicate well. A Project Manager who exhibits a positive attitude is respected and heard, more, understood! Attitude clothes the personality. So, are you wearing your best clothes? Always carry your best attitude that encompasses positivity, enthusiasm and pleasantness. The person interacting on the opposite side can read the attitude very well. The human brain picks up those hidden signals very easily. So communicate with the right attitude!

B – Body Language:
This forms the other part of communication. Non-verbal communication! Research has shown that in communication, 55% is formed by the body language, 38% by voice (tone) and a mere 7% by words. So, it is imperative that a good Project Manager understands the importance of body language in communication. It is necessary to project confidence in posture, gait, movements and gestures. If we watch fine actors we can pick up nuances of body language. There are many books in the market which will talk about this. A confident Project Manager will be able to get his point across using the right gestures and intonations. This works for communication over the phone too. Try sleeping or slouching and talking on the phone against sitting upright on the chair with a smile! If you ask the person on the other side, in which of the stances were you able to communicate better? The answer will be apparent!

C – Clarity
Remember 38% of communication is by voice and 7% is by words! That means one has to use the repertoire of the vocabulary with maximum impact. The Project Manager has to be clear and concise in his communication. It is said that clarity of thought percolates to clarity of speech. It is very important that the Project Manager thinks clearly about the issue to be communicated so that the thoughts can be translated to words and will flow with clarity. Remember, it is good only for streams to meander, not thoughts or words, at least for a Project Manager. Many times we hear people saying “get to the point”. It is always better to avoid this situation by communicating with clarity.

D – Diplomatic:
There is a saying “it is not what you say; but how you say it”. There is a certain way to say things so that it has the desired effect without ruffling feathers or rattling bones! This is art! A Project Manager has to practice and perfect this in order to be effective. This diplomatic communication makes the Project Manager approachable and pleasant and people would like to deal with him. The usage of words shouldn’t veer towards bias or sound opinionated. It has to be in such a way that everybody feels benefitted by what is being said.

There are many other nuances to be effective in communication as Project Managers. It can be perfected over time, but it is necessary to be ‘aware’ at all times and look for ways of improvisation!

I loved this letter!!

This is the kind of letter that i want to write to the many services that i avail of........ i have reproduced this letter that i got as a forward from someone. With due respect to the author (wherever he is) .............read on ..............

Dear Cretins,
I have been an NTL customer since 9th July 2001, when I signed up for your 3-in-one deal for cable TV, cable modem, and telephone. During this three-month period I have encountered inadequacy of service which I had not previously considered possible, as well as ignorance and stupidity of monolithic proportions. Please allow me to provide specific details, so that you can either pursue your professional prerogative, and seek to rectify these difficulties – or more likely (I suspect) so that youcan have some entertaining reading material as you while away the working day smoking B&H and drinking vendor-coffee on the bog in your office:
My initial installation was cancelled without warning, resulting in my spending an entire Saturday sitting on my fat arse waiting for your technician to arrive. When he did not arrive, I spent a further 57 minutes listening to your infuriating hold music, and the even more annoying Scottish robot woman telling me to look at your helpful website….HOW?
I alleviated the boredom by playing with my testicles for a few minutes – an activity at which you are no-doubt both familiar and highly adept. The rescheduled installation then took place some two weeks later, although the technician did forget to bring a number of vital tools – such as a drill-bit, and his cerebrum. Two weeks later, my cable modem had still not arrived. After 15 telephone calls over 4 weeks my modem arrived… six weeks after I had requested it, and begun to pay for it.
I estimate your internet server’s downtime is roughly 35%… hours between about 6pm -midnight, Mon-Fri, and most of the weekend. I am still waiting for my telephone connection. I have made 9 calls on my mobile to your no-help line, and have been unhelpfully transferred to a variety of disinterested individuals, who are it seems also highly skilled bollock jugglers.
I have been informed that a telephone line is available (and someone will call me back); that no telephone line is available (and someone will call me back); that I will be transferred to someone who knows whether or not a telephone line is available (and then been cut off); that I will be transferred to someone (and then been redirected to an answer machine informing me that your office is closed); that I will be transferred to someone and then been redirected to the irritating Scottish robot woman…and several other variations on this theme.
Doubtless you are no longer reading this letter, as you have at least a thousand other dissatisfied customers to ignore, and also another oneof those crucially important testicle-moments to attend to. Frankly Idon’t care, it’s far more satisfying as a customer to voice myfrustrations in print than to shout them at your unending hold music. Forgive me,therefore, if I continue.
I thought BT were sh*t, that they had attained the holy piss-pot ofgod-awful customer relations, that no-one, anywhere, ever, could be moredisinterested, less helpful or more obstructive to delivering service totheir customers. That’s why I chose NTL, and because, well, there isn’tanyone else is there? How surprised I therefore was, when I discoveredto my considerable dissatisfaction and disappointment what a uselessshower of bastards you truly are. You are sputum-filled pieces ofdistended rectum incompetents of the highest order.
British Telecom – w**kers though they are – shine like brilliant beacons of success, in the filthy puss-filled mire of your seemingly limitless inadequacy. Suffice to say that I have now given up on my futile and foolhardy quest to receive any kind of service from you. I suggest that you cease any potential future attempts to extort payment from me for the services which you have so pointedly and catastrophically failed to deliver – any such activity will be greeted initially with hilarity anddisbelief quickly be replaced by derision, and even perhaps bemused rage. I enclose two small deposits, selected with great care from my cats litter tray, as an expression of my utter and complete contempt for both you and your pointless company. I sincerely hope that they have not become desiccated during transit – they were satisfyingly moist at the time of posting, and I would feel considerable disappointment if you did not experience both their rich aroma and delicate texture. Consider them the very embodiment of my feelings towards NTL, and its worthless employees.
Have a nice day – may it be the last in you miserable short life, you irritatingly incompetent and infuriatingly unhelpful bunch of twats.

A positive word for 2010

This is my first blog in 2010, so I thought it appropriate to start with something positive. A positive message, a positive thought…………….. at least a positive disaster!!
Well, I got a hoard of messages this New year (on 1st Jan). some of them read “hope you have a nice, prosperous year………..”, “hope all your dreams come true……….”, “hope you achieve all that you set out on………….”. most of the wishes started with “hope”. Wonderful!! Everyone wishing me is “hoping” for the best for me!!
HOPE is a positive word after all ……….it signifies the human spirit!!
But is this good enough for me?........for you??
Someone says to us “I hope I become rich, I hope I win the lottery this year”…..this can be said even without purchasing the lottery ticket. How does this sound? ………….. is this very positive?
After a surgery on a dear one, the doctor says “I have done all that I can, now lets hope for the best” ………….. is this still positive?
Well, hope signifies an element of positivity, but I thought it isn’t good enough for me!!
So, what is the one word that will egg me on to go ahead and achieve things, that will spur not only positivity but also action and subsequent joy in me? ………..BELIEVE!!!
The word is perfect!
I ‘believe’ that this year is going to be wonderful for me!
I ‘believe’ in my abilities to make things happen!
I ‘believe’ that my partner will take care of things!
I ‘believe’ that my company will go on to make profits.
BELIEVE – this word not only evokes positivity, but encompasses ‘hope’, trust and follows it up with action as well and gives me that euphoric avenue to sprint through.
I have to quote Napoleon Hill “whatever the mind can conceive, and Believe; it can achieve”. So the adhesive between achievement and dream is “BELIEF”
BELIEVE that you will have a wonderful year and life ahead!!