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Over the past eleven and a half years, I have been blessed (or some say cursed) with the opportunity to work in the Information Security industry. When I first stepped in, I had no idea the different levels of client-facing and internal communication struggles I would face around each corner.\u00a0Below I have put together a list I have found to be very important when working with my internal team.<\/span><\/p>\n Below I will explain each of these a little further.<\/span><\/p>\n Without communication, the Project Manager (PM) and the team are set up to fail from the start.\u00a0\u00a0What is the point of a PM if they have no idea what is going on? What is the point of a PM if they do not communicate the client needs to the team?\u00a0\u00a0How can the PM assess the current situation or take part in active\u00a0problem-solving without communication? Do not assume that people speak up when they are stuck or in need; always reach out and check-in with team members.<\/span><\/p>\n When a PM is communicating with the team, it is important to note which communication styles work well vs. do not work with individuals and the group.\u00a0\u00a0For example, some people respond well to phone calls because they need to be able to ask questions\u00a0in the moment, while others tend to ramble or have trouble focusing on what they\u2019re\u00a0hearing.This type of team member that might not respond well to phone\u00a0calls, could benefit from\u00a0a bullet list of items via email or messenger. Learn how your\u00a0team communicates best,\u00a0and you will all succeed. Communication is not one-size\u00a0fits all.<\/span><\/p>\n People may not directly request it, but they like having expectations and goals.\u00a0\u00a0They like to measure against what is expected and gauge to see how it is going.\u00a0\u00a0Expectations helps provide the PM and team with status on where a project is at.<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to expectations and milestones, it is up to the PM to know the hard stops and communicate that with the team.\u00a0\u00a0Set goals and milestones for the day, but know you are working with artists so their course may change direction.\u00a0\u00a0Remember to go for the overarching goal for the day, not the strict checklist.<\/span><\/p>\n No one likes to be spoken at.\u00a0\u00a0Remember to speak with the team and to include them on accomplishing the goals.\u00a0An example of speaking at would be: \u201cStop what you are doing and switch to B.\u201d Speaking with and including the team would be: \u201c I see you are working on something else, but can you talk to me about switching to work on B instead?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The difference will make the team feel like they are a part of the decision and not being forced into it.<\/span><\/p>\n The more the PM understands what the team is doing, the more you as a PM will see things ahead of time. Sit with the team and ask them questions about why things happened and how, if possible, they could have been avoided? Go on site with the team and experience what that feels like. Continue to learn and grow as the industry does. Do not be afraid to ask the same question five different ways until you grasp what they are doing.<\/span><\/p>\n This is a fine line to walk.\u00a0If you notice things are not going as planned and\u00a0\u00a0the team is running over on assessments, speak up to the sales. Speaking up to sales will make sure future projects include the time needed.\u00a0\u00a0Always show the team that you have their best interest in mind.\u00a0This will build trust and demonstrate that they are important and not just a number.<\/span><\/p>\n Call or message them just to say hello.\u00a0\u00a0Often times when a PM reaches out, they are always looking for something strictly work related.\u00a0\u00a0Start reaching out once a week just to say hello and build a relationship that is not based on a project. Get to know the person beyond the projects you work on together.<\/span><\/p>\n Tell the team how much you appreciate their hard work.\u00a0\u00a0Do not assume that people know this. Make sure you say it out loud so they can hear you and they know that you are aware of all that they did and continue to do.\u00a0Appreciation goes a long way in improving team morale.<\/span><\/p>\n Being able to schedule the calendar perfectly with no gaps does not mean you are winning and providing your company with the best value .\u00a0\u00a0What it does mean is you are giving the team no time to breath.\u00a0\u00a0Space equates to opportunity for the team to have enough time to succeed. Space means allowing that one project to run over or that next one to start late.\u00a0\u00a0Space means caring enough about the team that you value their down time too.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As PM, you are the person who is going to steady this project to get finished. No matter what happens, always stay calm.\u00a0\u00a0When someone comes to you on full meltdown, do not join them in the panic, but listen to them as they freak out.\u00a0\u00a0Take notes during this time and let them vent it all out.\u00a0\u00a0Do not jump on the express train to melt down town. Listen, observe, ask questions.\u00a0\u00a0Together you can work through it and if not, you have others that can and will help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Over the past eleven and a half years, I have been blessed (or some say cursed) with the opportunity to work in the Information Security industry. When I first stepped in, I had no idea the different levels of client-facing and internal communication struggles I would face around each corner.\u00a0Below I have put together a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[73,120,121,128,77,74],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1329"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1339,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329\/revisions\/1339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zed.inguardians.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Not Everyone Communicates the Same Way:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Set Expectations:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Daily Check-Ins, YES! Micromanaging, NO:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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People do not like to feel like they are trapped or not living up to their expectations. As the PM, approach the check-in as a pow-wow\/collaboration. View this as a team huddle\u00a0that allows the team to build a blueprint of the day and should provide an understanding of each member\u2019s role. The PM\u2019s goal during these check-ins is to make sure everyone understands or to address\u00a0any issues that may have come up.\u00a0\u00a0These check-ins can be done by voice or online.\u00a0I myself prefer voice at some point during the day with online check-ins too.<\/span><\/p>\nBe Flexible, but Firm:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Speak With, Not At:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Knowledge is Power:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Advocate for the Team:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Just Say Hello:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Show Appreciation:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Efficient Does Not Mean Better:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nStay Calm:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\nSuzanne Pereira<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Director Of Operations at InGuardians, Inc.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"