Dyer Straights

Dear Sue:  I am working on a project where we just can’t communicate. I know that communication is important. What can I do to improve our communication so I don’t lose my shirt of this project? I Like My Shirt

Dear Shirt:
For many years I’ve asked project teams what it is that makes one project succeed and another fail. Over 95% of the time the teams said that good communication was the key to success and poor communication was the reason for failure. So you are on track to believe that communication is important.

After asking 134 different project teams this question, and working with each team on their projects, I’ve come to realize that often what the team believes to be a “communication” issue is really just a symptom of the real problem – the root cause. I’ve identified seven different root causes for project failure for which the project teams identified poor communication as their issue.

Let’s look at each of these in more detail to see if you can identify which one might be the root cause of your communication issues.

Root Cause #1 Fear
Fear makes team members feel the need to protect their own interests. When we feel the need to protect we certainly are not going to be open, therefore communication is going to be stifled. Worse yet, our communication is likely to be an argument about why we are right and others are wrong. Letter writing on positions and inability to solve even simple problems is the result.

Root Cause #2 Misaligned Expectations
When the team members each have a different expectation on how things are supposed to work you have misaligned expectations. Most often it is over roles, responsibility and authority. With misaligned expectations, no matter how hard each side tries, you just can’t seem to get together. They team may be “communicating” but understanding is not happening.

Root Cause #3 Confusion
Where there is confusion, chaos will break out. Again, this can be over roles and responsibilities, or over processes. When people aren’t sure what they are supposed to do, not only does the team lose productivity, there is chaos as people move around trying to figure out how things are supposed to work. This is true at all levels of the project. If a decision is made but no one understands how it is supposed to be implemented, then you will end up with different people implementing different solutions - leading to chaos and what appears to be poor communication.

Root Cause #4 Loss of Momentum
When everyone on the team is not in the boat, facing the same direction, and rowing toward project success, the project loses momentum. The more frustration there is, the more lose of momentum you will have. Frustration is caused when the team goes forward but keeps getting pulled back. Soon the project is behind schedule and communication switches to finger pointing, causing even more loss of momentum.

Root Cause #5 Dissatisfaction
Research shows when project teams look forward to going to their jobs (the level of job satisfaction is high), the project is highly likely to be on time and on budget. When the project teams “dread” going to work, the project is in deep trouble. When a project is not fun to be on and a sense of dread appears, communication between project team members will be strained at best.

Root Cause #6 Lack of Commitment
When people aren’t really committed to the success of your project you have “slack”. This is like slack in a rope. You don’t have a strong team focused on what it will take to succeed. Inadequate resources can also cause “slack”. The project team loses faith that they can achieve the project goals. Lack of communication is usually the result.

Root Cause #7 Unconscious Incompetence
Inexperienced staff can face a very steep learning curve. Even one inexperienced person in a key role can cause havoc on your project. They just don’t know what they don’t know, so they focus on what is available to them: the specifications, contract, and drawings. They must learn how to resolve specific construction project problems as they occur. Often documentation becomes the focus instead of problem solving.

Once you identify the root cause(s), then you will know what you need to do to overcome your communication problems. I highly recommend that your entire team discusses the different root causes, working together to agree on what you are going to do to overcome the barrier(s).