Q: Is efficient email management important when it comes to management of major projects (budget above 10 Million USD, Manpower above 100)?
Abdul Shahid SalamProject Manager| EXAP Contracting CompanyDammam, Saudi Arabia
If it is important then let us all know what are the methods that you apply/use in keeping track of numerous on going subjects in discussion?
If it is not important then let us know how as a PM you keep a check on whether your team is regularly following up with vendor/client/other team members/internal department on important prevailing issues on the project? Saving Changes...
In the overall communication within a project (especially in case of distributed teams) you can not fully avoid email. But do not try to manage projects via email.
The best communication is f2f. However, in big projects you need to deploy communication platforms like SharePoint, RTC, Jira to ensure robust communication structures related to progress, open points etc. Saving Changes...
Yes for a project that size you will need some kind of apps such as SharePoint or similar. Careful not to spend most of your time emailing, its pretty time heavy and benefits poor. Saving Changes...
Definetly, you need some kind of app and you need somes rules. In my case, I have stated somes rules: do not check email at the begining of the work day, otherwise email will plan your day for you, check email during specific times of the day. Checking email is time consuming and the benefits are poor, as said Sante. I know a project manager that has obliged all his team to cc him on every email in order to have controlled on the project. He was always stressed and finally cannot follow up.
...
1 reply by Abdul Shahid Salam
Nov 29, 2017 4:23 AM
Abdul Shahid Salam
...
I agree that you should not make it mandatory for your team to keep you in loop in all the subjects that they are dealing. You have to trust them with their skills but at the same time you should be reachable for any concerns and queries which needs to be addressed by a higher authority.
Saving Changes...
Abdul Shahid SalamProject Manager| EXAP Contracting CompanyDammam, Saudi Arabia
Nov 29, 2017 4:01 AM
Replying to Pierre Michel Joassaint
...
Definetly, you need some kind of app and you need somes rules. In my case, I have stated somes rules: do not check email at the begining of the work day, otherwise email will plan your day for you, check email during specific times of the day. Checking email is time consuming and the benefits are poor, as said Sante. I know a project manager that has obliged all his team to cc him on every email in order to have controlled on the project. He was always stressed and finally cannot follow up.
I agree that you should not make it mandatory for your team to keep you in loop in all the subjects that they are dealing. You have to trust them with their skills but at the same time you should be reachable for any concerns and queries which needs to be addressed by a higher authority. Saving Changes...
Yes. It is one method of communication among the project team members. SharePoint is another very useful application to share ideas among team members and make decisions together. It can help your team share ideas and make decisions together. It’s not easy, but it’s well worth the effort. Our projects become stronger through those interactions, because they can help us to:
• articulate project goals
• set better expectations about those goals and how we’ll meet them
• formulate a project process that works for everyone
• discuss task dependencies and how they’ll be met (or not)
• communicate risks and issues—and solve them
• understand one another roles and our impact on the project
• build strong a team bond
• enjoy our work
But all these application should be secured . Saving Changes...
Abdul Shahid SalamProject Manager| EXAP Contracting CompanyDammam, Saudi Arabia
I appreciate all for their valuable inputs. Saving Changes...
MARK A ANNUNZIATA, SrVP/EXPERT CONSULTANCY TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY| ROMAN STRUCTURES, INC WELLINGTON FLDammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Abdul-
This is an excellent question from you; specifically due to your perspective and location. Let me explain:
In our world, the Culture demands F2F meetings with Senior Management. Senior Managers in our environment stay away from e-mail communications. I believe this is due to Accountability concerns. I have been accused of running my projects via e-mail by these folks. Basically, since I almost always place requests of Senior Management in follow up e-Mail correspondence they do not like my ability to resort to these if they fail to deliver. This is a face saving technique for them, that avoids any link with Senior Management to Performance.
Since I am mostly in the field, their failure to provide timely resources and support is directly related to My Performance as the SR. PM.
I utilize all the methods available to me for the Communication Process- with both Stakeholders and Support Functional Managers:
1) Face to Face meetings (culturally this method demands huge amounts of time)
2) E-mail for Requests, Minor Communications, Agendas, short meeting minutes
3) Formal Letter Correspondence as the Contractor Representative.
Communication with Staff and the Field guys is a topic for another day!
Good Luck!
M
...
1 reply by Abdul Shahid Salam
Nov 29, 2017 6:27 AM
Abdul Shahid Salam
...
Dear Mark,
One thing that I have known through my experience in project management is that if you value yourself as a major stakeholder of a concerned project then you cannot shy away from taking accountability of the risks associated with that project.
About Face to Face communication –
As mentioned by Mr. Peter Ambrosy, F2F is the best method of communication but only when it is documented (like in the form of minutes of meeting) but again it is a time consuming process for which I completely agree with Mark.
Saving Changes...
Abdul Shahid SalamProject Manager| EXAP Contracting CompanyDammam, Saudi Arabia
Nov 29, 2017 5:49 AM
Replying to MARK A ANNUNZIATA, Sr
...
Abdul-
This is an excellent question from you; specifically due to your perspective and location. Let me explain:
In our world, the Culture demands F2F meetings with Senior Management. Senior Managers in our environment stay away from e-mail communications. I believe this is due to Accountability concerns. I have been accused of running my projects via e-mail by these folks. Basically, since I almost always place requests of Senior Management in follow up e-Mail correspondence they do not like my ability to resort to these if they fail to deliver. This is a face saving technique for them, that avoids any link with Senior Management to Performance.
Since I am mostly in the field, their failure to provide timely resources and support is directly related to My Performance as the SR. PM.
I utilize all the methods available to me for the Communication Process- with both Stakeholders and Support Functional Managers:
1) Face to Face meetings (culturally this method demands huge amounts of time)
2) E-mail for Requests, Minor Communications, Agendas, short meeting minutes
3) Formal Letter Correspondence as the Contractor Representative.
Communication with Staff and the Field guys is a topic for another day!
Good Luck!
M
Dear Mark,
One thing that I have known through my experience in project management is that if you value yourself as a major stakeholder of a concerned project then you cannot shy away from taking accountability of the risks associated with that project.
About Face to Face communication –
As mentioned by Mr. Peter Ambrosy, F2F is the best method of communication but only when it is documented (like in the form of minutes of meeting) but again it is a time consuming process for which I completely agree with Mark. Saving Changes...
Lawrence Lyle, PMP CSSGB ITILSenior Project Manager| Dekalb County Government, Decatur GeorgiaNorcross, Ga, United States
Emails are crucial to project communication. Your Project Communication Plan can actually address method of handling the emails. Emails can be "coverpage" to meeting minutes, issue, lists, CCB requests, etc., giving instructions or informtion to stakeholder on the attached project document.
Receipt of emails should be read and filed electronically in the appropriate process folder for reference or information in managing your project. Its also a "CYA" tool for hard decisions that have to be made. Feel free to contact me! Saving Changes...
There is a slight big brother element to email, so like any other tool that is monitored, use it wisely, appropriately, and as infrequently as you can get away with while still maintaining agreed levels of communication. Saving Changes...
