New technologies, concepts, and Web 2.0 tools are popping up everywhere. How can you use them to help your project team collaborate, communicate - or just give your project an extra boost? [Contact Dave]
How many times have you heard that project management is all about communication? Communicating with your team is important, but so is communication with the outside world. The latter is one of the reasons you are on gantthead. Both are reasons you should at least become familiar with Twitter.
Let me begin by saying I’ve been on Twitter for almost two years, tweeting once until last week. I never really got it until I got a few direct messages that dragged me into really trying it out. Three benefits really struck me as important. I think they could be important to most PMs who care about doing a good job AND improving their knowledge of the field.
Real Large-Scale Collaboration Have you ever been responsible for a large-scale system rollout? Often there are points where you present information to a large audience and only a small percentage of people with questions ask them. In the end you have questions from 5% of the people who actually have issues with what you are doing. Imagine what would happen if you got everything out in a non-confrontational and documented way with very little overhead or cost. Twitter could help you do that.
How important is “sounding smart” (or being smarter) to you? You would be surprised at how inspirational a twitter stream of random thoughts and links on PM can be. It’s hard not to spend 10 minutes running through a twitter search of something you are interested in --- say project management and not find something that interests you or sparks your imagination. Compare that to 10 minutes of TV at night or 10 minutes of waiting in line someplace.
How important is being connected to you? If you want to connect to business people in general, go to linkedin. If you want to connect to other PMs, do that on gantthead. If you want to connect to people from a variety of disciplines, based on your interests, Twitter is not a bad place to do it. Again, start by searching on your favorite terms. Last night, I ended up having a brief email exchange with one of the guys on NBCs “Heroes”. No big deal, but not likely to happen without Twitter. How many PM folks do you network with? Wouldn't it be great if you knew more about them - creating easier ways to start conversation and build a closer relationship? (see video below)
These are just a few thoughts on the subject. It’s not for everyone. It’s certainly not for those who have a very modest interest in networking. I just thought it would be useful to offer a couple quick ways to try it out. If you do try it, please let me know how it turned out. If you would like to follow me, I'm DaveG253.
There is LinkedIn, Plaxo, Gantthead, Twitter - take your pick ! Far too many and more will surface in due course. Dont want to be tied to my PC screen it is too time consuming. I personally discovered that I was spending too much time on LinkedIn, then it was Plaxo - so I am no longer on LinkedIn or with Plaxo total waste of my time.
Twitting is not for me nor have I been tempted even to check it out. Gantthead is great it is not intrusive. Really enjoy the articles, GIGS, comments and so on - the beauty of gantthead I am not under pressure, I can pace myself to fit-in Gantthead with my life.
PMs should model the way, communicate and look for tools that will help their team. A PM should create various communication vehicles to communicate with their team that fits the culture, policies and that the team accepts.
Twitter is a tool, that has lots of potential for PMs and project teams. I just read about a business collaboration tool takeoff from Twitter today similar to what Liquid Planner used. Similar interface but only internal use.
Also if you need openness, collaboration, flexibility for disparate teams, tools like Twitter seem like a good internal organizational choice for the right conversations.
Tools should help with communication and time management & not be a distraction.
Thanks Dave (and commenters). I'm also slowly gravitating to the idea that Twitter might be good form more than "I..am..in..London. ...I...am...eating...a...banana. ...It..is..sunny". But not got an account quite yet. You've pushed me a little further towards it.
You might be interested to know that O'Reilly are shortly to publish "The Twitter Book" whcih has a chapter on business use. Preview here: http://www.slideshare.net/oreillymedia/the-twitter-book-a-sneak-preview?type=presentation
Andrew SparksSenior Practice Director| OracleEindhoven, Netherlands
Dave I think I would change the title to "why PMs should be Social-Media-savvy"
Twitter is just one of a range of social media tools available that can be used (like any good tool) to help you do a better job of managing your project(s).
I do think PMs would do well to learn more about how such tools can support community-forming and to attract people to contributing to your project regardless of whether they are assigned to it or not.
One point PMs should take heed of: ignore social media at your peril. If you are not controlling the messages & "advertising" about your project somebody else might. Social media needs to become an inherent part of your communications plan for your project otherwise it may become an additional change management problem you have to solve
Senior Advisor to the CEO| PMISterling, Va, United States
Here's a great article about using Twitter for e-learning. It's not groundbreaking at the concept level, but if you take a moment to think about each suggestion in the context of your own training efforts - it could be really useful.
Paul NaybourFounder and Director| Parallel Project TrainingNailsworth, United Kingdom
I think we are in real danger of information overload. Prjects generate loads of comunication and controling it all is a real chalenge. Most of us are swamped with e-mail, document attachments and voice mail, without really watching what is going on in Twitter space. I like Twitter as a socail passtime and for staying in contact with mates, but as part of project mangement. What we need is a google tool for the project information so that you can find that repors someone e-mailed to you on you iPhone two weeks ago.
Sylvie EdwardsProfessor/Program coordinator| Durham College (DC)Whitby, Ontario, Canada
I am still very undecided about the use of Twitter in my project management world. Here''s my logic:
1. if it''s for a simple communications (yes, no, provide directions) or what I call "quick and dirty" without the need for expanded response then yes
2. if it requires more than 5 seconds of thinking and a response that is more than 150 characters well no
The problem is that people don''t understand how to basically communicate any longer. Most people try to avoid anything longer than 150 characters for everything and in project management (or at least where I stand at this present time) it just won''t work.
Time will tell but I do believe that Twitter and other "quick send" tools will be a greater part and support mechanism but not the WHOLE picture.
How many times have you heard that project management is all about communication? Communicating with your team is important, but so is communication with the outside world. The latter is one of the reasons you are on gantthead. Both are reasons you should at least become familiar with Twitter.
PMI Team Member
