How can a project manager in IT Outsourcing ensure that their team is communicating effectively?
Communication is one of the most critical skills for a project manager in IT Outsourcing. It can make or break the success of a project, especially when working with a remote or distributed team. In this article, you will learn some tips and best practices to ensure that your team is communicating effectively, from setting clear expectations and goals, to choosing the right tools and methods, to managing feedback and conflicts.
One of the first steps to ensure effective communication is to set clear expectations and goals for your project and your team. You should communicate the project scope, deliverables, timeline, budget, quality standards, roles and responsibilities, and risks and assumptions. You should also align your team on the project vision, objectives, and benefits, and how they contribute to them. By setting clear expectations and goals, you can avoid confusion, ambiguity, and misalignment, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
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Mukesh Ram (Max)
Founder and CEO of Acquaint Softtech
Having a clear expectation can help you set the best communication flow while managing a software development project. Using Skype for textual communication inside the premises can be helpful to keep every team member in loop. However, choosing Skype for communicating with a client might not always be a feasible idea. That's when building the right communication channels can be helpful. Diversify the communication channels from Emails, social media, video conferencing, etc.
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Another step to ensure effective communication is to choose the right tools and methods for your project and your team. You should consider the type, frequency, and purpose of your communication, as well as the preferences and availability of your team members. You should also balance the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication, depending on the urgency and complexity of the information. Some of the common tools and methods for IT Outsourcing projects are email, instant messaging, video conferencing, phone calls, project management software, collaboration platforms, and document sharing.
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Kuldeep V
Senior Technology Manager at KartMax
Personally, I favor Asana and Slack as they cover various communication channels such as task tracking, chat, and meetings. Moreover, they can be seamlessly integrated with web applications to monitor and log errors/exceptions.
A third step to ensure effective communication is to establish communication protocols and norms for your project and your team. You should define the rules and guidelines for how, when, and with whom to communicate, as well as the expected response time and quality. You should also consider the cultural and linguistic differences, time zones, and working styles of your team members, and respect their preferences and boundaries. By establishing communication protocols and norms, you can promote consistency, efficiency, and professionalism, and avoid misunderstandings, delays, and conflicts.
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Kuldeep V
Senior Technology Manager at KartMax
The communication should be short and effective, without language dependent. It should contain enough information so that every participant can understand it, and no one is left with unanswered questions. Any further doubts or questions should be addressed, but the information communicated should be clear and comprehensive.
A fourth step to ensure effective communication is to encourage feedback and collaboration among your team members. You should create a culture of trust, openness, and mutual support, where everyone can share their ideas, opinions, concerns, and suggestions. You should also provide constructive and timely feedback to your team members, and acknowledge their achievements and contributions. By encouraging feedback and collaboration, you can foster innovation, creativity, and learning, and improve the performance and quality of your project.
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Adesina Adeyemo
IT manager at FOODCO NIG
A project manager in IT can ensure effective communication by establishing clear channels, using collaboration tools, scheduling regular meetings, promoting an open culture, and encouraging feedback to address any communication gaps promptly
A fifth step to ensure effective communication is to manage conflicts and issues that may arise during your project. You should anticipate and prevent potential problems by identifying and mitigating risks, monitoring progress and performance, and addressing issues as soon as they occur. You should also resolve conflicts in a respectful and constructive way, by listening to different perspectives, finding common ground, and reaching a mutually agreeable solution. By managing conflicts and issues, you can maintain a positive and productive relationship with your team members, and ensure the smooth delivery of your project.
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Azam Ali
Head of IT | Service delivery Director | Business Leader | IT Architect | Asset Director | IT Consultant | Global IT Projects Management | Customer Services Director | Team Leader and Mentor
A project manager is responsible primarily to deliver his/her project to completion or to the end of the work outlined. The project manager needs to ensure that his/her team (including third parties) are joined up to deliver and regular updates enable this function with the project plan. Projects are like Lego and all the pieces need to come together which is the task of the project manager who must drive the components of the project.
A sixth and final step to ensure effective communication is to review and improve your communication practices throughout your project. You should evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your communication, by collecting and analyzing feedback, data, and metrics. You should also identify and implement improvements, by adjusting your tools, methods, protocols, and norms, as well as your own communication skills and style. By reviewing and improving your communication, you can ensure continuous learning and improvement, and achieve better results and outcomes for your project.
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Kuldeep V
Senior Technology Manager at KartMax
Being part of a communication (CC) doesn't mean it's not relevant to you. You can appreciate it for any productive communication or can privately correct the lead person if something is not happening right.
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Sunil Kumar Verma
SIAM Service Architect, ITAM - Consulting Practice Lead, Trainer, CMMI, COBIT, SAMPro Implementer
In my opinion, The Project Manager has to establish the communication rules, Monitor / Observe and train the team in concepts like Conflict Management and being assertive.
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