Projects live and die by good communication.
With it, project managers and supervisors can ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals, hitting targets at the right time, and producing the best possible quality of work. Without it, things can go astray very quickly, with work not completed, or done to a standard and specification that isn’t acceptable.
Achieving good communication when managing a project means identifying these communication barriers, and putting the steps in place to address them. Pulling it off will not just require comprehensive planning and execution, but also the drive and determination to improve your own communication skills – setting an example that others can follow.
Why good communication is important
Communication is obviously important in all facets of work (and indeed life). It’s how businesses and clients build relationships; how work gets done; and how employees stay motivated, and feel as though they are part of something bigger. A business that doesn’t communicate well won’t find or keep an audience, or indeed the staff it needs to succeed.
Yet this doesn’t mean that communication is always as clear and incisive as we want it to be. We all know the perils of bad emails, where questions aren’t responded to, timelines aren’t set, or issues are ignored altogether. We’ve all been in meetings that should themselves have been an email, and don’t contribute anything – particularly now that Zoom makes them so easy to arrange.
If this demonstrates anything, it’s that communication isn’t something that we’re innately good at, at least not across the board. Some people are great talkers in person or on the phone, but hopeless at communicating via email, and vice versa. If people even realise these flaws, too often they do not invest the time to address them, labelling them unnecessary, or a lost cause.
Yet good communication has never been more important in the workplace than it is today. Businesses increasingly operate not just across sites and continents, but remotely, with office time limited or non-existent. A yawning generation gap between people who grew up without the internet and entirely online has laid bare the differences in how we use technology to communicate, and the impact this is having on businesses.
Communication barriers in project management
Communication barriers in project management take numerous forms. Whether it’s the methods we use to communicate, the locations we speak to each other in, the language we use, or the way our cultural backgrounds influence communication, each person and platform is a variable that needs to be accounted for. Here are some of the most common issues, and some simple tips on how to address them without causing unnecessary strife.
The working environment
Suggesting that the working environment may be a barrier to good project management may seem both illogical and nebulous. After all, the main aim of any working environment is to facilitate good work, both in terms of efficiency and quality. Yet we know this doesn’t always hold true for a variety of reasons. Well-meaning design philosophies such as the ‘open office’ have caused as many problems as they solved, and not everyone works well in the same environments.
As is the case with open offices, noise is an obvious communication issue with some working environments. Yet as communication barriers go, this can generally be overcome. What’s more problematic is the physical separation of managers and supervisors from other employees, due to the broad shift to remote working driven by the pandemic. Even when people are in the office, the reduced numbers are creating a state of flux, where someone’s office days might change from week to week. Hotdesking meanwhile might mean their workstation is no longer a fixed location, making them harder to pin down.
Addressing these barriers means establishing clear lines of communication, and an expectation of availability. This doesn’t mean hovering over employees with digital surveillance, or the perpetual threat of sudden conference calls, as this can create unnecessary anxiety. Instead, look to schedule regular morning meetings to check people’s progress, and mandate the use of project management tools such as Monday.com or Asana to set and meet goals. Working online doesn’t mean you can’t manage people like you can in an office – you just need to ensure that employees adhere to the digital replacements.
Culture and language
Workplaces are becoming more diverse, bringing all sorts of valuable skills and perspectives to businesses. However, this diversity can also create challenges for project management. While English may be the world’s lingua franca, there are always gaps between the knowledge of native and non-native speakers. This is particularly true of British English, and something that UK managers and supervisors in particular need to get to grips with.
As American English is the most widely learned variant, many of the words and phrases we take for granted will mean nothing to many people, despite being fluent or near fluent in the language. Fortnightly meetings, bank holidays, bespoke products, or cracking on with a task may all mean absolutely nothing to a non-native speaker. It’s not uncommon in these situations for people not to query these terms for fear of looking stupid, particularly as a new hire, and to then pursue a task while lacking the information they need to do it.
Cultural differences can also create difficulties in terms of what is considered appropriate language. While this is often perceived as a bigger problem than it actually is – most people are happy to educate, and won’t take offence at genuine mistakes – the fear of saying the wrong thing can prevent people from communicating properly. Engaging in genuine dialogue over cultural differences and taking some time to read up on different cultures can help to smooth these issues over, and prevent any awkwardness when mistakes do happen.
Generational differences
While it is in some ways an extension of cultural differences, generational differences are becoming increasingly distinct. Millennials are now firmly ensconced in the workforce, and Gen Z isn’t far behind, with its oldest members now in their early and mid 20s. These employees are not just bringing different attitudes towards social and political issues, but also to how businesses should operate, and how they as employees should be treated.
Old norms around working hours, overtime, benefits, days in the office, and even days in the working week are all perceived differently by younger recruits. What’s more, the jobs market is empowering workers to change jobs if they feel these expectations are not being met. If an employer tries to force younger employees to come in four or five days a week, to work longer without overtime pay, or to work beyond what is required (and what they are being paid for), they may either quit or ‘quiet quit’, and simply lower their productivity.
None of this need be problematic if you appreciate these differences, and respect employees on a fundamental level. Some expectations of younger employees may not be realistic, but most of these generational differences come down to being paid and treated fairly, and operating the business in an ethical manner. Maintaining clear communication simply means talking openly, supporting employees with issues such as their mental wellbeing, and allowing them to work in a way that’s best for them, so long as it produces quality work.
Poor written communication
Whether or not you’re operating across sites, managing a project in the present day inevitably means communicating via email. It increasingly also means using apps such as Slack, Teams, and other chat services, where reams of messages and comments are integral to leaving and receiving feedback. Questions are posed and answered, files are sent, edited and returned, and calls and meetings are arranged – all relying on good written communication.
All of these aspects of working online can be disrupted by bad writing. You’ve almost certainly experienced this before: emails where only the first of several questions are answered, or points are addressed; or where important information gets lost in several long chains; or where an answer is simply garbled or unclear. Every instance of these creates confusion and delays that hold up projects, or send them careening in the wrong direction.
Bad written communication is widespread and difficult to address, and largely comes down to hiring the right people for the right roles, testing writing ability in the process. Where it can’t be avoided, managers should communicate with people in person, then take notes and write emails on their behalf. Forcing someone into emails who can’t write them clearly or effectively is an impediment to a project, and an example of unnecessary decorum that can drag businesses down.
From simple misunderstandings to the perils of modern technology, communication barriers can plague projects, causing unnecessary headaches and delays. We hope the hints above have been helpful in smoothing out these issues, and communicating more clearly with your staff. If you’re looking for more practical guidance, consider our Introduction to Project Management course, or our extensive range of leadership and management courses.
