Communication is Vital in Project Management

It frequently becomes an issue in a project when the lines of communication between the people involved in the project become disrupted. Disputes frequently occur especially when multiple parties are involved in the decision-making for any project, especially in terms of change management. Usual problems include:

• Not communicating clearly with clients
• Not clarifying and itemising any requests or changes made by the client inside the Change Request documents
• Not communicating through official channels
• Relying on verbal conversations and not laying them out in official documentation

When it comes to communication, project managers also need to put themselves in the client’s shoes in order to understand their point of view.

While these clients are experts in their own fields, project managers have to work under the assumption that clients are uninitiated in the field of cloud computing. Therefore it is easier to think and work in their terms as much as possible rather than expecting them to understand and stick to the usual glossary used with project teams.

As such, the project manager straddles both worlds as he or she must be the conduit between the customer and the project team, relaying the concerns and requests of the client and translating them into terms that can be understood by the project team. This must be done effectively to ensure the correct implementation of the project and fulfillment of the client’s requirement.

Risk and Change Management

In an ideal world, project planning is supposed to ensure that everything goes on schedule with efficient use of resources. Not only is this an unrealistic expectation but projects do undergo change and face risks during their implementation, especially when the client is a fast-paced, dynamic organization.

Therefore, anticipating risk and change is a fundamental part of project management. Preparing in advance to manage these risks is ideal in order to ensure that the project is carried out smoothly.

Although some risks are unexpected, project managers are expected to be dynamic when faced with an unanticipated difficulty and to adjust accordingly. Consequently, project managers must plan a safety margin in terms of resources and time to prepare for unexpected circumstances. This will ensure that we do not over-commit to our clients and put our team under pressure whenever obstacles arise.

Additionally, the sales team must also be aware of this and be in close communication with project managers to manage clients’ expectations.

Lava is an authorised Salesforce Partner in Malaysia and has more than a decade of experience in cloud solutions which includes marketing automation, CRM implementation, change management, and consultation. We pride ourselves in not just being a CRM partner but in also understanding the needs of our customers and taking their business to the next level.