Effective Project Collaboration: Two Make-or-Break Essentials

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  Communications Management   Talent Management  

Collaboration is critically important on projects; it is the essence of a “well-oiled machine.” And what is essential for effective collaboration is honest, unfettered communication. Technology can be a great collaboration enabler and can open channels of communication like never before, but collaborative effectiveness will always be limited by the quality of the communication itself.

Communication Essentials
The first step to elevating collaborative effectiveness on projects is to strive to maximize the quality of communications everywhere on and around the project. Here are 10 key areas to check to ensure the project ecosystem is configured for maximum quality communication:

1. Connected environment: There must be a physical or virtual environment where people are connected. It must be easy for people to connect. There must be clear communication channels among people.
2. Information-sharing culture: Sharing of information needs to be nearly ubiquitous, except for very few confidential documents. Information on a “need to know” basis should be avoided. Self-interest must be subordinate to the value of the team, and sharing should be highly valued across the team.
3. Well-organized information: All project team members and stakeholders must be able to access the information for easy retrieval and use. …

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