Project Management, Team Building and Effective Communicating. What’s the link?

When you think of projects, or your organization as a whole for that matter, what value do you put on effective communicating? 

Let’s take a brief look at projects. All are measured based on time, budget and quality. And often, at least one of those key measurements needs to be adjusted during the execution phase.

The solution to this problem is found in communicating. Starting from the very beginning, and throughout the project life cycle, there is a need to understand and translate requirements. There is a need for the output of independent work streams to fit together. There is a need to identify, clarify, asses and deal with changes. These things apply to all projects. There is always a need for individuals and groups to work together effectively in order to deliver an outcome. 

The best outcomes are achieved when there is teamwork among all levels of participants, from sponsors to the end users. This  is achieved with purposefully effective communicating. Which is a specific, and uncommon, skill set. These skills increase quality and reliability while reducing the long term maintenance costs of fixing what was not done quite right in the first place.

One of the most substantial risks in any project is missing the target. Providing the environment for teams to get quality results on time and on budget is a game changer. You already have the right people with the right skills and knowledge, yet issues still occur, just as they always have. To get the job done, we need to understand the link between project management, team building and effective communicating. When people understand how to work together and how to fix problems you get high performing teams that get the job done with little or no issues.

By understanding the principles of effective communicating you can have great teams. You can attract and retain the best talent. You can build a culture that will cause your people to stick around and do it all over again with the next project. The key is training and supporting your people so they will feel appreciated and be motivated to participate with enthusiasm.

The world has changed, and continues to change. There is a new reality. The security of salary and benefits is not enough. Chain of command authority is not enough. This goes beyond project success. Team building and effective communicating are more than just “nice to have” concepts. Organizations need to find ways to express that their people are a priority. This is more than a tag line. It is the new necessity for the success of your organization.