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For the last seven years, my role as a project manager / program manager has taught me one major thing…good communication is key to the success of the project. In fact, according to the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), 90% of a project manager’s time is spent communicating!! This could include communication with stakeholders, team members, or other managers within the organization, which speaks volumes about the important role of communication to a project.

Healthy project communication means that the right people are getting the right information at the right time and we’re able to make informed decisions.

So, how do we ensure good communication management in a company where everyone is virtual?

• Implement some form of agile project management within your current process

  • This will allow you to see results and progress earlier and faster via daily scrum or status meetings, allowing there to be plenty of time to make adjustments to the product or process as needed.

• Use videoconferencing technology to simulate face to face conversation

  • Google Video Calls are great for this!

• Use online collaboration tools

  • There are a variety of online project management tools that allow for real time communication and updates such as Asana, Wrike, Clarizen, etc.

  • GoogleTalk and Slack are also a great way to communicate via instant messaging

• Include team members’ pictures where possible

  • People tend to respond to faces more than written words, and a picture can help humanize instant messages and email

• Be flexible with time zone differences

  • There may be times where you have to take an earlier or later than normal call to accommodate others - everyone understands and appreciates it!

• If you have any doubt about a conversation or email, always ask for clarification!

  • In written communication especially, it can be easy to misinterpret what the other is saying. Always follow up with a call, instant message or email to double check.

• Make an extra attempt to discuss non-work topics sometimes

  • This helps build camaraderie between your team members

Unique approaches to communication is what helps make projects successful because of how closely it ties into team dynamics and communication. Here at Function1, we’ve implemented all of the above which has helped projects and teams meet more of our goals!!

For more information, check out a few links below:

Project Management Tools

• Asana

• Basecamp

• Wrike

• Clarizen

• AtTask

• TeamWork

Community Chat Tools

• Slack

• Microsoft Teams

Online Meeting Software

• GoToMeeting

• Join.Me
• Zoom
• Skype
• Google Meet

Remote Team Building

• Celebrate work anniversaries or other special occasions with Kudoboard