COMMUNICATION IS KEY!
By Lisa Simon, MS MIS, MBA
Don't under estimate the statement "Communication is key to any project's success". It becomes even more
critical on those projects that are short-termed and moving at a rapid pace. The following outlines some key
communication tips I found to be helpful on a recent short-term project:
- On weekly project status reports, include a section that lists the main milestones and tasks which were
completed over the previous week. Have a second section on the report that outlines the main milestones and
tasks to be completed in the upcoming week, including the resource(s) responsible for overseeing the
completion and expected date for completion.
- Schedule a standing weekly project team meeting near the end of each week for the duration of the
project
- Send a meeting agenda and a Draft copy of the current week's status report and meeting minutes prior to
the meeting:
- The Draft copy should be an initial copy of the previous week's status report and minutes sent to the
Sponsors and Team
- Add under the upcoming week's section the new milestones and tasks for the up and coming week
- During the weekly meeting, check off the milestones and tasks completed on schedule for the current
week. Review the milestones and tasks scheduled for the following week and confirm with the responsible
team members the expected completion date. Also ask for approval or acceptance of the status report and
minutes to make sure all team members are on the same page.
- Once the meeting concludes, update the Draft copy of the report:
- Remove the completed milestones/tasks that were listed in the first section from the previous weekly
report
- Move the items that have been completed in the second section up to the first section
- Keep milestones/tasks that are outstanding or scheduled to be completed the next week in the second
section for upcoming events.
- Identify any new issues/concerns that requires to be reported
- Circulate the final weekly status report to the project sponsors and team members
I found by adding the date and resources to the milestones and tasks and reviewing them each week, it reduced
confusion regarding accountability and the expectations of each project team member. With the complete team
present at the weekly meeting, it provided an opportunity to identify any upcoming issues or concerns in advance
in order to properly and timely address. Identifying and reporting ownership of milestones/tasks appeared to
also reduce last minute notification of missed deadlines. The team communicated issues with meeting deadlines
prior to the week the milestone or task was due to be completed. Lastly, with the fast pace of the project,
the report provided a weekly snapshot to the sponsors of the project's progress.