Communication is the foundation of human relationships, and it is the main element within our society that fosters our understanding of one another and the ideas we bring to projects in our personal and professional lives.
In a study done in 2013, PMI found that 80 percent of projects managed by effective communicators met their goals, whereas only 52 percent of projects met their goals if managed by minimally effective communicators. Likewise, in that same study, they found that effective communicators deliver their projects on time (71 percent versus 37 percent) and within the allotted budget (76 percent versus 48 percent). These findings support what PwC found in their report that said “effective and efficient communication methods used within projects means are more likely to stay within scope, meet quality standards and deliver intended business benefits.”
Since effective communication is paramount in the workplace, it is no surprise that in a recent survey done by Accelo, communication was selected as the most critical element to successfully managed projects.
In the same survey, 90% of respondents selected email as their preferred tool for effective communication, and collaboration technology was hardly ever selected as important for effective communication in project management. Email can be an effective form of individual communication, but when it comes to creating a sense of collaboration within teams, it’s a major hindrance to productivity and the success of a project. After all, email causes a lack of transparency and collaboration and leads to ineffective team communication.
So what are project managers doing to cultivate team collaboration and effective communication in the workplace? In Accelo’s survey, it was found that only one-third of respondents said they used collaboration software to manage their projects. Collaboration tools like Asana and Basecamp centralize the projects and enable the collaboration, but do not address the fact that email is still the preferred method of communication.
Geoff McQueen, CEO of Accelo suggested that businesses should “Look for technology that tracks emails based on clients or projects and captures them for later review in a centralized location to which all team members have access. But make sure this technology doesn't just substitute dozens of inboxes for one big intimidating mess.” If all team members have access to client-related communication, it makes it easier to communicate and work together on a project. A tool that combines team collaboration and allows for effective communication can lead to beneficial results for the overall quality of the project.
Some benefits of combining communication and collaboration include:
In today’s world, it is hard to imagine how project managers manage their projects without a tool that helps them communicate and collaborate with their team members. Collaboration is an essential component for project success, and adopting a tool that synchronizes with the main tool that project managers use to communicate (email) is ideal. It gives team members transparency and visibility into the workload and allows for team collaboration, effective communication, and successful project management.
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