Communication is often considered the most critical aspect of a project manager’s role, with many experts stating that a significant portion of up to 90% of a project manager’s time is dedicated to communication activities, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and aligned throughout the project lifecycle.
Whether it is standup, a group presentation, or virtual meetings, they are simply part of the job, but they don’t need to be difficult.
Use this simple 5-point outline together with the Tell Them Rule.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Overview
- Presentation
- Summary (conclusion)
Tell Them Rule
Step 1: Tell Them What You Are Going To Tell Them
- Get audience attention
- Arouse interest
- Introduce yourself, your idea and purpose
Step 2: Tell Them
- Logically develop your idea
- Tell the audience why the idea is important to them
- Don’t use terms and terminology your audience won’t understand
- Be brief and stay on track
- Use visual aids; a picture is worth a thousand words
- Invite feedback through comments and questions
Step 3: Tell Them What You Told Them
- Restate your goals and objectives
- Remind the audience how this impacts them
- Ask for questions to verify the audience understood your meaning
- Make a specific call for next steps