The value of a proper headline when dealing with a project (or anything else for that matter) cannot be stressed enough...
Yep! I'm talking of the headline of your email correspondence here...
It only makes the day for a project manager so much more comfortable (not to mention easier), when he/she has to find something in a hurry...
And, usually...
What else... normally... is a project other than...
"In A Hurry..."
So, if you'd just give me an appropriate headline, I'm very apt to forgive everything else, and especially typos;-) - slang or whatever have you.
The need for understandable language however... Still though, just my 2 cents...
Whenever I got e-mails of character "more or less garbled", I'd call back to make sure the importance of such a post... And, if nothing else, make the person understand the value of an appropriate - to the CASE headline!
ALSO: Whenever I had to send people e-mails myself, I'd ALWAYS follow-up through a personal visit (in person) or follow up the e-mail by a phone call...
( That is, if the message was of particular imporance or of any urgency of nature, of course. Sometimes both... - when extremely important as to avoid EVERY possibility of a misunderstanding)
AND: I cannot STRESS enough the importance of this!
Besides... In the end... I cannot even count the endless millions saved from being flushed down the sewers of project-managemen-hell - purely by following this simple... little... routine...
The most obvious reason is that you get to eliminate the fuzz and the potential B.S. INSTANTLY...
BUT...
The most important (perhaps) and not always so obvious reason?
This way there will be NO phreaking way anybody involved could ever lamely excuse themselves with the so popular and widely used:
"Ohhhh! Oh my... I didn't know that..."
Or BETTER Yet! ---> You won't Even have to put up with the even more so annoying:
"Oh... I didn't know that... I NEVER got anything like that from you..."
Just try applying this strategy yourself... Just once!;-)
It'll only take a few more (no need for more than 2 to 5 more minutes normally) minutes of your day...
.BUT, I'll promise you... These 5 more mins will more than be worth it by the end of your week...
BECAUSE: While the other guy still is scrambling around, you have eliminated just 1 more obstacle that otherwise could've set you hours, and even days and weeks back due to stupid mis-communication and needless errors...
And, just so you know, this ONE tactic alone, made it possible for me to go in - take over projects other people - more experienced - more "skilled" and longer in the trade than me - had to abandon...
.Projects gone so astray that you'd be embarrassed (and then some) to call it YOUR assignment...
Still though, among others - this one thing made it possible - not only to rescue these lemons that no-one wanted...
.but, without exception, it made it possible to do so (rescue them) - within 90 days and less.
Making them absolute killer money machines in a snap...
No matter what size - no matter how down the sewers the project ever was...
And, usually...
The project never took more than 3-4 weeks to be back on its feet...
So, the morals here must be: NEVER - EVER underestimate the power of seemingly small, and unimportant things like these...
In the end, these are the nuggets that will separate the loosers from the winners...
And, in my experience as Project Manager, you, the Project Manager live a potentially "Dangerous" life...
You are like a King/Queen, but without land of your own...
And, the head of the Project manager will always roll first, unless you have done your work - backing yourself up...
.Documenting EVERY little bit of your work, and more...
But, when the documentation is secured, and your proper means of communication are provided for... Your time as emperor is way more secure and successful...
Not to forget, but so much more fun!
Best Regards and Much Success
Author : Arne Yri
http://www.ProjectManagementMadeEasy.com
(C) Copyright 2000-2005 - Arne Yri - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
http://www.ProjectManagementMadeEasy.com/disclaimer.htm
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