214 Project Management
ticularly team meetings—information flow and general team
communication will be hampered and you’ll have to devote
much more time gathering information and attempting to cor-
rect behaviors.
Communication Skills and the Project Manager
Developing the skills needed to communicate effectively takes
time, practice, and feedback. Though there are many ways to
structure and list the skills required to be an effective communi-
cator, I’ve found it more useful to think in terms of functional
competencies or abilities. The most successful project man-
agers I’ve known had the following abilities:
- Ability to express themselves effectively in conversa-
tions with organizational management - Ability to express themselves effectively in conversa-
tions with peers and team members - Ability to express themselves effectively in conversa-
tions with subordinates and support personnel - Ability to speak naturally in front of a large group
- Ability to prepare and deliver formal presentations
- Ability to speak “off the cuff” effectively
- Ability to negotiate
- Ability to write clear and concise notes and memos
- Ability to write technical reports and other technical
material - Ability to listen effectively
- Ability to know when to talk and when to be quiet
- Ability to provide constructive feedback
- Ability to foster open communication
- Ability to correct others tactfully
- Ability to gauge whether a receiver understands a mes-
sage or not - Ability to use vocabulary appropriate to the audience
- Ability to interpret nonverbal communication
- Ability to project poise and self-confidence