Just like the 3 most important factors in real estate are “Location, Location, Location”, the most important factor in the success of any project is communication.  Surely, this is not a problem for most Project Managers.  Is it?

Communication is more than just talking and listening – it’s the transfer of thoughts, facts, opinions, and ideas from one person to another.  Not words - thoughts, facts, opinions, and ideas.  You can speak all the words you want, and other people may hear you loud and clear, but if they don’t translate those words into the same thought that you have in your head, then you have not communicated that thought.

So the key is not just to broadcast information.  You have to consider your audience, your medium, and your environment.  You have to focus on the most effective way to ensure that your thought or idea is understood by your audience.  And you have to care.  If all you are doing is sending out information to CYA, you are not communicating, you are hedging your position, and you have already conceded to failure.

A few pointers for effective communication:

• Strike a balance between complete and concise.  Summarize information into clear and simple points, with links to more detail for those who are interested.  Give people the option to consume as little or as much as they need.
   
• Highlight the most important points to ensure that they are not lost.  With every e-mail, document, or presentation, ask yourself – “what is the one thing I need to make sure people get out of this” – and focus on that point.
   
• Be sure to pick up on signs from those you are communicating with.  Body language, curt responses, and questions will give you the keys to know if you are truly communicating or just broadcasting words.
   
• Prepare different communications for different audiences.  No two people have the same education, background, technical expertise, or business experience, so adapt accordingly.  This may be as complex as different versions of a project document or presentation, or as simple as different versions of an e-mail being sent to different groups within the organization.
   
• Take ownership for the responsibility to ensure that your thought or idea is understood.  If they don’t get it, it’s your job to keep working at it (gracefully) until they do.
   

Is it possible to have too much communication?  Absolutely.  There are some things that people have no need to know, and a barrage of unnecessary communication may cause them to block it all out (which ultimately means no communication is taking place, no matter how much information you may be broadcasting to them).  However, I believe it’s always better to err on the side of too much communication than not enough.