Listening to the voice of the project management customer

Listening to the Voice of the Project Management Customer

Today, project managers are faced with a wide variety of challenges as they seek to accomplish their organizational goals, and it is reasonable to suggest that some managers achieve their goals more effectively than others. Moreover, just as there are several varieties of projects, there are a number of types of project managers that achieve their respective goals in various ways. Successful project managers may differ in style and type, but a common theme that quickly emerges from the research is the need for such managers to become effective listeners in order to ensure the communication process is reciprocal and details are not overlooked in the administration of a given project. To help identify these commonalities among successful project managers, this paper provides an analysis of the fundamental issues involved in this regard, including who should be heard, what should be identified, when should listening take place, where should listening take place, and how should listening be accomplished. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Who should be Heard?

Because many project managers have little formal training or experience in project management, identifying the important stakeholders in a given project can be problematic (Wysocki, Lewis & Decarlo, 2001). Moreover, as Gilley and Maycunich (2000) emphasize, "Some [project managers] even lack a practical approach and techniques for planning and managing projects" (p. 67). Despite these constraints, identifying important stakeholders in a project represents the first step in determining who should be heard. Unfortunately, as Dinsmore and Cabanis-Brewin (2006) point out, "The role of stakeholders and the influence they have is not always understood by project managers" (p. 176). Generally speaking, project stakeholders can be categorized into four groups in descending order of importance to the accomplishment of the project as follows:

Project champions. These are stakeholders who have a reason to bring a project into being. Such stakeholders include developers, investors, and entrepreneurs motivated by the potential for profit. This group also includes visionaries who are attempting to create a project for the future or for the benefit of others.

Project participants. This group of stakeholders includes those responsible for planning and executing the project.

Community participants. This stakeholder group includes those in the community who are directly affected by the project.

Parasitic participants. As the term implies, this group of stakeholders is comprised of both organizations and individuals who do not have a direct interest in the project, including opportunists, activists, and others seeking a focal point for their efforts; this group is distinctly different from the foregoing community participants who have a legitimate interest in the project's impact on the local community (Dinsmore and Cabanis-Brewin 176-77).

What should be Identified?

Because of the enormous variety of projects involved in project management, this area can be as difficult to determine as the foregoing stakeholder analysis. By and large, though, the specific problems that should be identified include those defined within the context of the conditions, wants, and limitations that the actual project is expected to encounter (Dinsmore and Cabanis-Brewin).

When and Where should Listening Take Place?

In the Age of Information, project managers enjoy the advantage of being able to communicate with a project's numerous stakeholders in places and during times that are mutually convenient. According to Massue (2004), a number of currently available project management applications provide project managers with the ability to consolidate communications and respond more efficiently. Applications such as Project KickStart feature options that allow project managers to import contact lists and identify all of the individuals involved in a given project to help facilitate two-way communication with these stakeholders. As Massue advises, this application has a "People icon" that "lets you choose the people who'll be involved in the project. If you keep a contact list in MS Outlook, you can import names from the list into your project" (64).

How should Listening be Accomplished?

Because every group and team - and project - are unique, listening styles may need to vary to accommodate different needs and goals. According to Stirling (1998), a "telling style" of communication is a straightforward one-way communication approach that uses unilateral decision-making to satisfy uninterested team members' need for noninvolvement and to support timely and decisive action; by contrast, a "selling style" will employ two-way reciprocal communications, active listening, as well as access to the decision-process for those group members who are moderately involved. Finally, a "participating style" encourages group members to discuss significant issues and search for viable alternatives (Stirling). According to Richman (2002), some useful steps that can help ensure effective two-way communication takes place during the pendency of the project management include the following:

Prepare the message in advance. Determine how and when to deliver the message and identify problems that require action, gather relevant information, and focus on the most important issues.

Deliver the message in a clear and constructive fashion. In face-to-face meetings, use appropriate nonverbal communication and be aware of others' feelings and demonstrate genuine concern.

Listen to the receiver's message. "Really listen. Ask questions until you are sure you understood the response. Accept the fact that the other person may see things differently from how you see them" (224).

Confirm understanding by summarizing or paraphrasing the response to ensure it was correctly understood (Richman 224).