A Nextcon consultant was once a project manager on a project that was implemented according to the principles of agile development Scrum. The project team members were located in different locations, so it was natural to think that the whole project would be implemented using modern team communication tools: web meetings, email and instant messaging. As is common in this kind of work, daily debriefings and messages were fast-paced, straight to the point and to the objectives, with no ‘pointless’ chatter. The project was progressing smoothly and as planned until one of the team members went on sick leave due to work exhaustion. What on earth happened?
Project management, and in particular the job description and role of the project manager, has changed significantly in recent years. In the past, the role of the project manager was generally very administrative; calculating schedules, costs and resources using different formulas, documenting and reporting a lot, managing issues and the progress of the project. The work of the project staff was very much managed by command and control. Interpersonal or communication skills were mainly measured by the implementation of the communication plan in the project plan.
New project methodologies have changed the nature of projects and partly because of this, but also in general, the role of the project manager has changed. The project manager is no longer just a project administrator and manager, but a leader, coach and sparring partner for people. The starting point for the newer project management methods is to involve team members more closely in the project and in decisions. The project manager must motivate and engage team members in a common goal. The project manager is a facilitator who allows team members to shine, gathers and encourages input, is fair and respectful. At the same time, project tasks should be distributed according to the skills and strengths of each team member.
In managing people and working with project stakeholders, the project manager’s communication skills are one of the most important factors in the success of projects. Communication ranges from kick-off to final report, but the most important is of course the day-to-day communication during the project. There is a wide variety of communication tools and methods available and simply agreeing which one to use for which purpose is a big factor in the smooth running of a project. It is also important to consider how (tacit) information is shared between team members so that there is a good team spirit. What a particular way of working communicates is also important. For example, if project meetings are constantly postponed, doesn’t that say that either the meeting, the other participants who put their time into the meeting or the project itself is less important than something else?
So, to come back to this particular agile example project of mine, where did it go wrong?
On two issues:
- No relationship of trust had been established
A relationship of trust must be built between individual team members and the project manager.
A relationship of trust is not created through online meetings or email. It needs to be built with the team, in one-to-one meetings and, above all, face-to-face, where all the different levels of communication are visible, including body language. The team member must be confident that he or she can tell the project manager without fear of criticism that he or she does not understand or is otherwise unable to complete the task. Once a relationship of trust is established, the move can be made to using electronic means of communication. In this case, the team member did not communicate his challenges, lost sleep and eventually burned out.
- The team and its different personalities were not known and the communication style did not work
What works as a communication style for one team may not work for another. Style is an important part of communication. For some teams, it may be OK for daily walkthroughs to be quick and intense, more “commanding” – for others, not. In this case, strictly goal-driven meetings did not work and were perceived as bossy, which was by no means the intention. Of course, people are different and experience the same message differently so there are differences within the team.
But do customers, internal or external, demand communication and interpersonal skills from project managers? Good question.
Both are challenging areas, not just in projects but in all areas of working life. They are difficult to measure with certificates or even interviews, you can’t really learn them from reading books. Experience is the best teacher. But when you interview your next project manager, at least ask them about their good and bad experiences in communication and people management.