“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” — George Bernard Shaw

Everything I’ve read about project management suggests that a project manager should spend 90 percent of his or her time communicating. That may seem like too many hours devoted to one activity, but consider what communication really encompasses; it’s significantly more than just talking. Project communication is all the ways we distribute information, report data, and manage stakeholders.

Communication is the phone calls we make. It’s the e-mails, memos, letters, transmittals, and documents we send out to the team. It’s all the meetings we attend. Communication is reporting on the project status, archiving information, and sharing lessons learned. It’s handling stakeholder issues and concerns. This is plenty of stuff, so something can be misunderstood easily and we can become a bit sloppy over time.

So, if we are allocating 90 percent of our time to this communication thing, and we’re blending several people into the mix, and one of them is the customer, shouldn’t we be getting better at it if we can? Of course! Here are some approaches to focus on:

1) Establish a communication plan. Without a plan, information flow gets unwieldy and teams can be overwhelmed. A plan helps us decide what is critical and what is not. It identifies who needs various kinds of information, how it’s published, and who’s responsible. This plan also should contain the guidelines and ground rules for project meetings, e-mail protocol, status updates, and backup contacts when the main recipient is away. This also is referred to as a RACI diagram; it designates who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed on a project team.

2) Create meeting agendas. Anyone leading a meeting should have an agenda prepared in advance. Everyone loathes meetings that seem to go on forever, so prioritize the items that need to be discussed and set the length of time for discussion. If one of the team members has a quick issue, but doesn’t need to attend the entire session, address that first so he or she can leave. Be respectful of everyone’s time — and of your own time — and rein it in when things start to drift. Distribute minutes consistently and, if you are not the author, make sure you check those minutes for accuracy.

3) Document, verify, archive, and share. Good project managers collect a lot of information. The project environment is a busy one and, despite our best attempts, we — or our clients — are going to forget things. E-mails, memos, letters, and sketches are very important project documents that tell the story of what was said and what was decided. Taking the time to confirm a conversation is worth the extra minutes in our day. These records only benefit our firm if they’re easily available and archived in a sensible manner. Project managers also have an obligation to share lessons learned — especially if it helps the team achieve greater future success.

4) Develop skills. Though we all communicate every day, it’s still a skill that can be developed. For example, we can become better listeners by paying closer attention and improving our recall. And we can become better writers: after all, if most of what we want to express will be expressed in e-mails or memos, using good grammar and a positive tone is an essential job skill. We have a lot of technology at our disposal, but that doesn’t mean we should hide behind it. As a general rule, if an e-mail has exceeded three exchanges between all the recipients, it’s time to pick up the phone or meet to resolve the issue.

5) Understand your responsibility. Consider the quote at the beginning of this article; it’s important to realize that just sending an e-mail or making an announcement doesn’t guarantee that communication has been achieved. If we’re the ones distributing information, we’re responsible for ensuring that our transmission is clear and complete. Also, we need to confirm that this information has been understood properly. That’s no small task and likely is a new concept to most readers, but it will spare frustration later. Simple validation, follow-ups, and check-ins should do the trick. The receiver most certainly will appreciate your diligence.

When we think about a day in the life of a project, it’s easy to complain that we’re constantly on the phone or sending e-mails and, “… not getting anything done!” But communication is what project managers do. So accept that communication is your job, and getting better at it is another way to be a better project manager.

Christine Brack, PMP, is a principal with ZweigWhite specializing in strategic business planning and project management optimization. Contact her at cbrack@zweigwhite.com.