Project Vines vs. Mills

Andrea Brockmeier is the Director of Project Management at Watermark Learning. She has 20+ years of experience in project management practice and training.

  Communications Management   ProjectsAtWork  

Informal, undocumented communications play a major role in project work, for better and worse. Project managers must recognize two very different informal channels: the grapevine and the rumor mill. One can be a constructive asset; the other terribly destructive.

Communications is the single greatest indicator of project success or failure. As project managers, we have to think about all aspects of communications, including how much, how often, to whom, and in what format.  We also have to pay attention to communication channels within our organizations.

A lot of project work gets done through informal, undocumented communication channels. This is not only OK, it’s actually necessary. Imagine if every conversation or information gathering effort we conducted required a documented plan. The fact is, a lot of good data can be mined from the water cooler and coffee klatch gatherings.

There are two types of this informal network: the grapevine and the rumor mill. While both are informal, undocumented communication channels, they are significantly different. The grapevine is an asset worth using; the rumor mill is something to avoid.  

How are they different and what makes one an essential part of a project manager’s communication strategy and the other a liability? In my mind, it comes down to content and effect.

First, the nature of the content is qualitatively…

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