Step 9: Communicate early and often

Communication is 360 degree process. You'll need to keep the stakeholders and sponsors informed regularly of your progress. You'll need to communicate your timeline and expectations to the business units and departments your project will affect. And you need to communicate with your team on a regular basis to make sure they stay on track. This communication doesn't have to be a formal sit down meeting. You should meet informally with your team as frequently as possible in small breakout sessions. Your team should be completely aware of your project plan, key deliverables, project milestones, and timelines. Keep your stakeholders and sponsors up to date as often as they require.

You want to make sure you are aware of potential problems before get out of hand. Make sure your team knows that they can come to you with bad news. Make sure your sponsors and stakeholders hear the bad news from you first before it gets distorted and exaggerated by someone else.


12 STEPS TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUCCESS

Home: Introduction
 Step 01: Identify sponsors and stakeholders
 Step 02: Get a champion in top management
 Step 03: Clear goals and achievable, objective deliverables
 Step 04: Own the planning process
 Step 05: Establish a methodology
 Step 06: Be honest about your abilities
 Step 07: Make sure you have the resources
 Step 08: Assemble the best team you can
 Step 09: Communicate early and often
 Step 10: Establish clear metrics
 Step 11: Keep your deliverables in mind
 Step 12: Know when to ask for help

This was first published in April 2005

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