“Over-communicate. It’s better to tell someone something they already know than to not tell them something they needed to hear.” — Alex Irvine.

The success of any project begins with great Communication. With teams becoming more and more global, effective communication is critical. Communication via email, IM, video conference, telephone, text, and face-to-face help establish clear client requirements and avoid misunderstandings.

We can’t communicate enough, and even when we think we’ve over-communicated, something will get missed.  There are assumptions made by both sides that are just that… assumptions.  So, communicate face-to-face whenever possible (body language will tell you if you’re not getting your point across), and by phone when discussing critical decisions.

Over-communication is not a bad thing. In fact, repeating your message, vision and status is actually critical. Not everybody will “get it” the first time, nor even the second. And this is not about a difference in intelligence or knowledge. Thinking everyone is on the same page is an assumption and should be treated as such.  Regular and open communication of project status builds trust between the client and the implementer.

Communication and interpersonal skills are important for successful project management and to avoid surprises. Implementers must convey vision, ideas, goals, and issues, as well as produce clear status reports and project presentations.

Best practices for communication:

• Keep It Subtle
  Over-communicating doesn’t mean communicating everything; it means communicating the right things effectively.

• Ask Questions
  if you are unclear of a direction or strategy, ask questions and clarify.

• Make it clear and transparent
  Make sure you are clear with client requirements and expectations.

• Don’t forget your destination
  Remember your goal is a successful implementation and make sure each communication is a step towards that goal.

Over-communication is not limited to the client but also with the internal team members. A few tips on team communication:

• Regular meetings
• Daily quick touch base
• One to one interactions
• Task trackers and status updates in a common location for easily access and updates

As mentioned several times you can never over-communicate – it’s the rule rather than the exception.

For more information regarding over-communication, please contact us at [email protected]

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