I have worked as a project manager for several years, and communication has always been the main issue. Being a project manager can be challenging since the project manager is responsible for the results without owning the resources used to implement them. Most of the team members may belong to different departments with different bosses. These members may even work in different companies. Therefore, the team members may have different points of view on how things must be done, and the company values may also change amongst various departments. Thus, it is fair to say that those differences become more significant if people belong to different companies, which may lead to a failure in the implementation.
Communication is key to a project’s success, and cognitive bias plays a vital role in the communication process. So, what is bias? According to Psychology Today, “bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone” (Psy,2019). Some biases are good, like eating greens; they will help your health. Others are bad, like stereotypes. Biases are cognitive shortcuts that can lead us to make a rash decision without a thorough understanding of a problem. Then comes the second question: how can we reduce bias during the communication process when executing a project? Indeed, there are many techniques and documentation about communication in project management. However, here we will concentrate on what has been more helpful for me over the years. First, clearly define the goals of the project with the team. Second, trust the word of each member of the team. Third, review the project from each member’s perspective; this is called a 360º overview. Fourth, act upon concerns, which means that you should eliminate impediments and resolve concerns.
Let’s start with the definition of the purpose of the project. An excellent way to do this is using the SMART technique to create the goals; SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Everybody needs to know what is expected from them and the time frame. This activity should deliver a document signed by each team member, which will be the manifesto of the project. I have learned that if people disapprove of the manifesto, they are not reading and understanding the goals. Creating shared goals will reduce bias in the project’s expectations; everybody will be on the same page. However, this is just the start.
Several problems might arise during the execution of the project, The difficulties can span over different time frames, departments, and processes. These problems will be solved if and only if the team members can assess the real scope of the problem. One common issue is that the team member who is addressing the issue will be undermined or misunderstood; this type of bias is due to perception. Everybody has a different understanding of facts. This difference in perception occurs because the information is stored in the brain with modifications made by previous experiences and sentiments. There is also the fact that the communication process has flaws, and we tend to fill in the gaps with the modified knowledge that we have stored in our brains. To address this problem, the project manager should work as a moderator, and they should create an environment where every team member trusts to speak candidly.
Another way to reduce perception bias is by using data to support facts. The correct approach should address the problem and describe it with valid documentation and numbers drawn from the project. This approach will tend to eliminate the necessity to fill in the gaps and wait for information before making any decision. Speaking candidly and showing information from every team member will cover the 360º overview of the project. Each member of the team will have an equal opportunity to show their concerns. We can see a project like an apple; if we see it from the front, we cannot see if there is a worm eating the apple in the back. However, if we turn it, we will see the bad part of the apple. We will have the 360º overview of apple only if we allow each team member to give their point of view of the situation: trust your team.
Last but not least, act upon concerns. Each concern should be address even to be dismissed by consensus. The team members will trust the communication process since every concern is addressed, and every problem is given a path of action. A problem that is small at the beginning can be solved before it can derail a project. At the end of this exercise, the team should generate a document of compromises with a time frame, responsibilities, and actions to be taken. The path of action should address clearly the questions: what, who, when, and how. This list should be task-oriented, simple in language, and with dates and one owner for each task. An activity without an owner is nobody’s business: the problem won’t be resolved. I shall stress the word “one”; more than one owner will also create confusion. Ownership occurs when one person is responsible for the task. The owner will not necessarily execute the activity, but he or she will be responsible for it.
There are more issues to be addressed to have excellent communication in a project. According to the Project Management Institute: “55% of the project manager is spent on communication” (PMI,2013). There are many documents and techniques to learn related to this topic. In fact, there are many types of communication in a project: to ask for requirements from a client, to give feedback to clients, to inform the main stakeholders, to inform external stakeholders, and others. However, the communication that happens among the team members is one of the most important ones. The communication to inform the different stakeholders will originate from the team once the project has started. The good execution of the project will also depend on this type of communication to address issues. The tools described here have worked for me to reduce bias in the communicating process; they are a good starting point: SMART goals, trust the team, 360º review of the project, and act upon concerns. Practice makes perfect, and these techniques, when being implemented and used frequently, will become good habits in the everyday life of a project manager.