Once the business case has been approved, the next stage is to support the implementation process. Using the timeline and short and long-term goals that were developed as part of the business case this part of the project is all about communication, coordination, and providing support and training.
Communication is a key activity when any changes within the organisation are being contemplated. If strategies, plans, and processes are not adequately communicated to stakeholders there will be miscommunication, delays, confusion, errors, and potentially conflict that may arise.
When planning communication of a major project implementation, consider the following:
- Audience: Who are they? Where are they located? What are their generational, socio-economic, and educational backgrounds? What issues are they currently facing? What do they need to know?
- Communication Channels: How and when will information be communicated? Will face-to-face sessions be conducted? How will feedback be gathered?
- Communication Style: Be clear and concise. Communicate timelines clearly. Outline any envisioned problems and impacts that may affect stakeholders. Use professional language, but do not use jargon, abbreviations, or highly technical terms. Practice active listening in face-to-face sessions. Follow email etiquette guidelines for emailed communication.
- Follow Up: Answer questions and concerns honestly. Research any information that you are unsure of and follow-up with the stakeholder to provide additional details.
Active listening skills can be demonstrated by:
- Listening intently
- Showing interest by asking questions
- Not getting distracted
- Not listening purely so you can have your turn to speak.
Email etiquette guidelines are:
- Write an informative subject line, but keep it brief. It is important to have your email stand out from the crowd.
- Use an appropriate greeting for the audience. As a general rule, it is OK to use the term 'Hi' as a greeting, however, if communicating with a more formal audience it may be more appropriate to use 'Good Morning/Afternoon'.
- Keep it concise. Don't send lengthy boring emails or too many messages. Overwhelming a person with too much detail or having communication that is too frequent will leave a negative impression.
- Proofread before sending an email. Spelling and grammatical errors will look bad or can even result in miscommunication or offence being taken.
- Email signature. Design a professional email signature that lists your name, job title, company name and logo, and contact details.
For the project manager, there are some key tasks and considerations that must be followed: is required to monitor the timeline of the project, ensure that goals are achieved, outsource tasks to others, and ultimately successfully meet the objectives of the project.
Key considerations for a project coordinator
- Monitor the project timeline: The timeline will have all project goals mapped out in terms of priority with specific milestone dates. Monitoring this timeline helps to ensure overall project success on schedule. Consider using a project management software program to keep track of specific goals and deadlines.
- Conduct regular meetings: Key stakeholders and also management will need to be kept informed of progress, deadlines, issues, financials, and other important information.
- Delegation: Some projects have a large scope and therefore the implementation team may feature a few different staff members or even external consultants/advisors. Delegating certain tasks to individuals helps to ensure timelines are adhered to and relieves overall stress from the project manager. Ensure regular consultation and feedback is offered to any person who has been delegated a task.
- Monitor the budget: Tracking expenses is an essential project management task. Project budget 'blow-outs' are not viewed favourably by management and may have adverse effects on the business. By monitoring expenses, there should be fewer instances of overspending and potentially advanced notice of issues that may require additional funds to be allocated.
- Liaise with third-parties: Some projects, such as a cloud-computing implementation, may involve an on-going relationship with a third-party service provider. The project manager will be the initial contact person negotiating with this stakeholder, setting up the contract, arranging migration, and consulting with them about training, technical issues, and ongoing service provision.
It is essential that all stakeholders receive adequate support and training in regards to any new project implementation. Some projects represent a major shift from current operations and this may be met with resistance from personnel who are used to the older system. This resistance will be further compounded if they don't receive adequate support and/or training.
Types of ongoing support that can be developed and provided include:
- Policies and procedures, with step-by-step processes for operating new systems or completing new tasks.
- Technical assistance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) documents, troubleshooting guides, or one-on-one consultation for specific issues.
- Answering queries with informative responses and listening to feedback suggestions.
- Limiting the impact of implementation by scheduling migrations, maintenance, and down-time during off-peak hours.
Types of training sessions
- Face-to-face group sessions: Usually feature some sort of presentation or speech. Allows for immediate questions and answers. Limited due to company set-up, for example, if employees are in multiple offices/locations or working from home.
- Virtual training (webinar/online meeting): Usually features some sort of presentation or speech. Can be delivered to a large group that is spread far and wide. Can be recorded for future reference or dispersal. Limited due to internet connectivity and/or technical ability of stakeholders.
- One-on-one coaching: Usually quite informal and features specific task demonstrations. Can be useful in small businesses or when staff are apprehensive, not technically savvy, or too busy to attend pre-scheduled sessions. Limited due to the time it takes to meet with stakeholders individually.
