Project Planning

Guiding Prinicples for Communication

“The greatest problem of communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”  George Bernard Shaw

• Internal project communication is as important as external.  Make sure project decisions are understood by all project members prior to broader stakeholder communication.
• Communicate the bad news as well as the good.  Honesty is always appreciated.
• For example, if a new system is going to be delayed, say so; don’t keep silent.
• Be consistent in your communications.
• Communicate proactively.  Don’t wait until there is a problem.
• Target communication (and communication methods) to the information needs of specific audiences.
• Provide timely information about decision and events.
• Measure effectiveness of communications through various feedback mechanisms.
• Keep jargon and acronyms to a minimum.
• Keep it simple.