The seventh and final essential for effective project teams is also more of an art form than it is a science, although certainly there is science behind the theory of communication. But this really is one of the more significant areas that is either underestimated and it's important. It's never overlooked because there's always some kind of a check the box activity built into project plans when it comes to communication. But it's usually very underestimated in terms of what it really takes to fully communicate a project of any significance. Throw it a large organization, George Bernard Shaw was not thinking about project management when he came up with this quote, however, his quote seems to be more relevant today than ever. For more information on communication as it relates to leading change, you can either look at our specific learning program called communicating change More than one on leading change that's got communication in it as well, for a lot more detail, what I want to do is just hit the highlights of communication here specifically as it relates to project teams.

One of the things that's really helpful for project teams to think about is for their particular project. And they think about communicating this out to the organization. What is it that we're going for here, in terms of what level of communication is required? Do we want people to be aware of our project? And that's enough? Do we want them not only to be aware of it, but understand it in some depth?

Or do we need people really to get committed to this and to act in some way or another. Now, this is a very old model that relates to learning came out of the early social science research back in the 60s. It's been used in any number of ways over the years. But essentially, what we're looking for here is to help project teams understand that it's a long way From awareness up to action, and when you look at all of the stakeholder groups for your particular project, we've got to understand that it is unlikely that everybody needs to act differently. In order for this project to be successful, it's unlikely that everyone needs to do something different. Some people may need to only be aware that it's going on some may need to be aware and understand a little bit.

The big hurdle, of course, is getting to commitment. But once we're committed, we can get to action relatively quickly. So a project team has got an obligation to figure this out. And then to connect up with other parts of the organization to help ensure that people get to where they need to be in order for their project to be successful. So we can think about these levels of awareness, understanding, commitment and action, and we can communicate accordingly. So if all we're doing is trying to build awareness, well, we can use a lot of the classic kinds of things that project teams seem to use whether it's broadcast emails or texts.

Messages using social media or putting on on the Facebook page, or memos or video presentations or whatever it might be. But these are all simply awareness builders. If we want a little bit more understanding what often happens here is we may come out with more detailed information. And some organizations still do detailed memos that are printed out. A lot of project teams are going to build their project website. And project teams think this is great.

Let's build a website because a website can be a very comprehensive place to gather a bunch of different information. The downside with that? I'm not saying that project team shouldn't build a project website. I mean, if you think it's helpful, and you'll use it, if nothing else, it's helpful to the project team, but to use it as a communication vehicle. You've got to understand that what you're asking people to do is to work hard for information they probably don't want in the first place. They're going to have to find the website and then they're going to have to go and wade through Through all of the complexity that at first blush to most people looks pretty confusing, certainly makes perfect sense to the project team because they were the ones that helped build it.

So web content can be helpful. But you're asking them motivated to do a little bit of work and those that are motivated? Well, there's a lot of people that aren't motivated to understand your particular project. So they simply won't. So we can do conference calls, and all hands meetings and discussions and training sessions, and so on. So all of those things are good.

However, if we want to get people up to commitment, we're going to have to bring this into the local work area. So we need to have some conversations in the department meetings, the team meetings, feedback forums, whatever it is. And here the connection needs to happen between the project teams and the local area leaders, whether that is managers or supervisors or shift foreman or whatever it might be. And it's really important that as project teams, you don't have a meeting. As the project team and invite people to come to your meeting, what you want to do as the project team is to find a way to get on the agenda of the next week's department meeting and get whatever period of time maybe it's 20 minutes, maybe it's 10, maybe it's 45 minutes to provide an update on your particular project. So bring your meetings bring your information to activities that the local work carriers are already having, rather than ask them to squeeze yet another meeting into their very busy schedule.

So that'll help with commitments and face to face conversations at the local work areas. And then in order for it to get to action. This really lies on the shoulders of the leaders of the local work area. So that could be as I say, the shift format, it could be the managers could be also what happens is who's ever at the top of the organizational food chain for that particular work area for each and every particular work area? Are they Demonstrating at the very top of the organization, are they behaving in a way that suggests everybody else needs to take this project seriously. So walking the talk is probably the most critically important thing.

Leaders and project teams need to do to help people themselves get to action, team, problem solving, recognition, reward sharing success stories, ongoing updates. So those are some things that are helpful. Let's talk a little bit about who owns communication. Now here is a regular organization power in 30 chart we've got project teams out to the side. While the project teams are doing their work early in the process, they are probably connecting with and getting information from all of the levels of the organization. Once decisions have been made, the executives have got to do everything in their power to ensure that all of the leaders, directors, managers and supervisors, so those are the red and arrows off to the left side, get on the same page for this particular project.

Project teams need to continually stay connected with the executives. And most importantly, stay connected with the supervisors. Because what we're trying to do is to ensure the supervisors at the local work area become the voice and the face for each of the particular projects. So when we think about then who needs to own communication, certainly the project teams as long as they're around, I've got an obligation to fulfill around communication. And this has to do with that second side of the mandate that we talked earlier, helping to increase the willingness and ability for people to implement the plan. That's all about communication.

We also have to ensure the executives are in on this and they're showing up and acting as owners. But then the last group that is most critically important around owning communication to the supervisors because we will To ensure the supervisors have the information to answer the questions as they get the questions from their staff. So this is an ongoing pursuit, if you will, of communication. And when we think about then, who owns this truly, who needs to put their arms around the obligation of communication? It's these three groups, project teams, because they are as long as they're around the experts on the project. The executives, they are always around and they bring the clout, the heft, the power and authority.

And most importantly, who needs to own communication at the local work area? That's the supervisors. Now you don't have to coach supervisors on talking to their employees. They're doing it all the time. What they need is information about the project. And they need to know the executives have got their backs.

So when we think about who owns change communication, this is what we're talking about the communication channel. project teams, executives, and supervisors. Let's touch on this idea around timing. When do we need to communicate? What? There's two sides to this one is the content communication.

And the other is the process or process communication. Let's talk about content communication. First. There's three dimensions that need to be communicated here. What is the strategy? Why is change necessary?

What's the direction that we're going? And what's the focus? What are the priorities, then we need the change or the project information around alignment and coordination and who's doing what when the behaviors and the attitudes and all of that change detail and we also need transition information communicated what's over and what's not communicating care and concern, building trust, learning opportunities and signs of success. So that's the organic flow of communicating your projects. Based on this integrated approach to leading change the downside Is that most organizations and most project teams start a little late and stop a little soon. No real context for this particular project in terms of how it aligns with other projects, or more importantly, how it aligns with the organization's strategy.

It's simply here's a project, and here's what's going on. And maybe a week or two later, maybe an update, but, and then it stops. But it really doesn't stop because now we've got another project, and it just keeps going. But it's all change information, no strategy and no transition. So it's helpful to bring the communication into context. The second dimension of what needs to get communicated is the process information.

So this is about how decisions are being made and who's on the project teams and if you want to get on and how do you get on it. And when you run into delays, tell people why you have delays and when information can't be shared, explain why maybe it's a legal issue. Maybe it's a personnel issue. Maybe it's simply a Timing in the marketplace issue, maybe it's a competition issue, whatever it might be. But rather than don't tell people tell people why you can't tell them. People understand that.

Where can people get the most accurate up to date information? Perhaps on the website for some will be motivated to go there. But for others, they may want to talk to somebody. So is that the project team is that the supervisor who might be who's in charge of what? How do people get their questions answered, and this information needs to be shared continuously as the situation continually unfolds.