All right, let's be real. Too many managers love
to hear themselves talk, rambling on with vague
instructions that frequently leave everybody
guessing. That ends now. I'm diving into why
short, sharp sentences aren't just more efficient.
They're actually a game changer for your team.
Say goodbye to confusion and missed deadlines
and hello to clear, actionable direction. Hey,
the following story is fictional because I need
to keep actual experiences confidential, but
it illustrates the key issues that I've seen
in a rise in getting projects done. And today
I have a story of transformation and how one
project manager turned her communication struggles
into a recipe for success. So this is the story
of a project manager named Emma. A leader with
a talented team who found herself up against
a major unexpected obstacle, communication. And
now you might think that in a world where we've
connected 24 -7, more communication would solve
project problems. But as Emma discovered, this
wasn't the case. In fact, she learned the hard
way that more talking doesn't always lead to
more clarity. It sometimes leads to more confusion.
Now, she was what you'd call a proactive communicator.
She led a sharp, talented team and believed that
frequent communication was the best way to stay
on top of her projects. She'd send emails, hold
meetings, and check in with her team members
regularly and always kept everyone updated on
every detail. And this level of communication
was keeping the team aligned. But... Here's what
Emma didn't get. While her intentions were fantastic,
her team was feeling overwhelmed and, ironically,
disconnected. Deadlines were missed, morale was
at an all -time low, and confusion just seemed
to be constant. The very communication that she
thought would keep them on track was actually
throwing them off balance. Her team didn't know
how to tell her. that her approach was causing
more harm than help, because they were afraid
of creating tension or seeming ungrateful for
all of her hard work. So there she was, leading
a team that was highly skilled, but increasingly
stressed, not because of the work, but because
they felt unsure of what was expected, and this
uncertainty was eroding the confidence Emma worked
so hard to build with her team. So, finally Emma
decided it was time to call a meeting. A very
different kind of meeting. She gathered her team
and asked them to be brutally honest about what
was and what wasn't working in their approach.
And let's be real about this. The feedback session
was not easy for Emma. Listening to her team's
honest perspectives felt like a wake -up call,
sometimes felt like a slap. Her team shared that
her instructions often came across as vague,
and the constant flow of updates and open -ended
discussions made it hard for them to focus, and
they even admitted that sometimes they left meetings
more confused than when they went in. They needed
clear, actionable direction. not just more information
so emma realized that they didn't feel comfortable
asking for clarification they felt embarrassed
or worried that it would slow things down or
make them look bad and as tough as this was for
emma it actually was a pivotal moment so after
that meeting and a lot of time spent sitting
thinking she was determined to make a change.
And she went back to the drawing board and did
her homework on effective communication within
Teams. And she learned that it wasn't about more
communication, but meaningful. So she tried something
in the next meeting. She limited her updates
to key points only and focused on setting clear
actionable goals and instead of launching into
open -ended discussions she provided concise
instructions and allowed time at the end for
questions and more importantly she emphasized
that her door was always open for anyone who
needed more clarity no question was too small
And that change did not go unnoticed. Her team
felt the difference right away. They had a clearer
picture of what was expected. They felt more
confident about their roles, and they knew they
could come to Emma if they needed guidance. Soon
deadlines were starting to be met, and morale
was starting to rise. Her team was re -energized,
not because she was communicating less, but because
she was communicating better. Her journey revealed
the truth. Effective communication isn't about
frequency. It's about clarity. So let's explore
how Emma took her team from confusion and frustration
to confidence and success by putting their needs
at the forefront. So after that feedback session,
Emma took a long look at her approach. She had
to go beyond clarifying her communication style.
She had to make sure each of the team members
felt secure, respected, and most importantly,
successful in their roles because many employees
don't feel good about themselves or their work.
They're nervous. She started with something simple,
but frequently overlooked, and that was listening.
She scheduled one -on -one meetings with each
team member to understand their individual needs,
challenges, and even their career goals. And
through these conversations, she learned a lot
about what each person needed to feel successful.
Some team members felt overwhelmed by the sheer
volume of updates and meetings, while others
were struggling to see how their individual tasks
contributed to the larger goals. And her realization
People don't just want to work. They want to
know that their work matters. They want to feel
a sense of purpose. They want to feel a sense
of clarity. They want to feel a sense of confidence
in their contributions. So Emma decided a new
approach focused on four key principles. Clarity,
purpose, recognition, and support. All right,
let's talk about clarity. Emma's team had been
dealing with vague instructions and constant
open -ended discussions that left them feeling
unsure. To address this, she started setting
very specific, achievable goals for each team
member. And those achievable goals are really
critical. She avoided broad, complex objectives
that could easily be misinterpreted. Instead,
she broke down tasks into smaller, manageable
steps. so that each person knew exactly what
was expected of them and when it was due and
how it fit into the bigger picture. But she didn't
stop there. She knew that deadlines alone wouldn't
bring success unless her team members felt secure
in reaching out when they needed help. She began
every task assignment by encouraging questions
and emphasizing that she was available for any
clarification, big or small. It took time, but
eventually her team members began to trust that
they could ask questions without fear of judgment.
Secondly, she emphasized purpose. During her
one -on -one sessions, she realized that some
team members felt detached from the project's
goals. They were completing their tasks, but
they didn't see how their individual contributions
were moving the project forward. She addressed
this by what she called project alignment sessions.
And in these sessions, she would walk her team
through the project's objectives, showing them
the roadmap from start to finish, explaining
how each task was critical to the project's success.
And she didn't just tell them what to do. She
showed them why it mattered. These sessions had
a powerful impact because suddenly her team could
see themselves as integral to the project's success.
They felt they weren't just doing work. They
were contributing to something bigger. Their
motivation surged. They started taking more initiative,
suggesting ideas and improvements because they
truly understood the project's mission. For the
third principle that she was doing, recognition.
Emma noticed that she'd often taken her team's
hard work for granted. And sure, she thanked
them in passing. But she hadn't realized the
importance of celebrating wins, both big and
small. And her team members were feeling undervalued
and showed up in their morale. So Emma made a
commitment to change this. She started holding
weekly wins meetings every Friday, where she'd
highlight individual accomplishments, from small
progress on a difficult task to a major breakthrough.
She'd give genuine, specific praise, letting
each member know that their work was seen, appreciated,
and crucial to the project's success. And this
recognition had a huge ripple effect. Team members
felt appreciated, and that appreciation transformed
their work ethic. They became more enthusiastic,
not just because they were getting acknowledgement,
but because they felt valued, not just as workers,
but as contributors. The last item was support.
She wanted her team to feel they could rely on
her and each other, especially when things got
tough. Not if, but when they did. And she realized
that open communication was far more important
than just giving instructions. It meant fostering
a culture where team members felt comfortable
sharing their challenges and asking for help.
So she implemented something called peer support
rounds. Every week, team members would pair up
to discuss any difficulties that they were facing
and share advice. These rounds weren't about
assigning blame or creating extra work. They
were about building trust and reinforcing the
idea that the team was a unified force working
towards a shared goal. Now, to be honest, at
first the team members were hesitant. Peer support
felt strange in a culture that had always emphasized
individual responsibility. But as Emma encouraged
openness and vulnerability, team members started
to see the benefits. They shared knowledge. They
learned from each other's experiences. They became
stronger together. And the team was no longer
a group of individuals working in silos. They
were a cohesive unit, fully committed to helping
each other succeed. So through these four principles
of clarity, purpose, recognition, and support,
Emma transformed her project. Deadlines were
beginning to get met. Productivity soared. But
most importantly, her team felt empowered and
motivated. They weren't just working anymore.
They were thriving. Emma had done more than complete
a project. She had built a culture where her
team felt secure, appreciated, and successful.
And so her journey shows us that true leadership
isn't about controlling every aspect of a project
or setting strict rules. It's about setting your
team up for success. By giving them the tools,
giving them the trust, and giving them the support
that they need to flourish. When you create an
environment where people feel valued and purposeful,
success naturally follows. And so if you're a
project manager listening today, or you want
to be a project manager someday, if you want
to achieve greatness, don't just focus on the
tasks. Focus on the people. When you make the
lives of your team members better, you'll find
success comes with far less struggle. So, communication
is the backbone of any successful organization.
And as a manager, the way you communicate will
greatly impact your team's performance and morale
and overall success. And one of the most effective
ways to ensure your message is clear and understood
is to speak in short, simple sentences. Let's
take a look at why that's so important. When
you use short, simple sentences, you minimize
the risk of misunderstandings. Complex language
and long -winded explanations can confuse your
team members, leading to mistakes and misaligned
expectations. By keeping the communications clear
and concise, you ensure everyone is on the same
page. So, let's look at some examples here. Instead
of saying we need to ensure that the project
timeline is adhered to without any deviations,
how about just stick to the project timeline?
It's direct, easy to understand, and it leaves
no room for misinterpretation. Also, establish
clear... communication channels. Decide on the
primary tools that you will use, whether it's
Microsoft Teams or Slack or something else. Make
sure we're all together on this. And it's a great
way of tracking information. Then you set the
clear expectations in clear, short sentences.
And doing this from the outset is important.
Outlining the roles and responsibilities and
the deadlines for each team member. But not only
giving this to them, but talk to them to make
sure they understand what the tasks are and expect
of them. But I want to warn you about something.
Be very careful. Don't let it morph into micromanagement.
You're here to help them, not to micromanage
them. For instance, during your project kickoff
meeting, go over the project plan in detail and
discuss each member's role, the timeline, and
the deliverables. Everybody then is on the same
page, as they say. Now, encourage open communication
where the team members feel comfortable in asking
questions and seek clarification. This is really
important because one of the things I've found,
team members are terrified about looking stupid.
And it just depends on how you answer any questions
they have or bring up anything. That has a huge
impact on whether you'll get some more clear
communication from them. Regular check -ins on
one -on -one and also team meetings are great
for this. You can review progress, address issues,
answer questions, and make sure that you encourage
team members to speak up if they need help or
don't understand something. When a team member
came to me and explained they had made a mistake,
or describing some other problem. My only comment
was a question. How do we fix it? The only time
I would explode in frustration is if they had
hid something for several weeks, and now it was
a much bigger problem. Then I would get kind
of wild. Other than that, never blame, never
upsetness. Just let's get to this. And as we
talk... Using simple direct language, avoiding
jargon and overly complex sentences go a great
way to help. Here's one. We need to synergize
our efforts to optimize the project outcomes.
Huh? How about let's work together to achieve
our goals? A little easier to figure out. Now,
this is something that I wasn't as good on as
I could have been, but I did develop over time.
confirming understanding always confirm understanding
especially for the important instruction or decisions
after discussing a task or decision ask the team
member if they truly understand what you just
said because maybe it was clear to you and not
to them so are you clear and what the next steps
are maybe you even quiz them what do you see
as the next steps This next part is not fun for
me. Documentation. Because it's the key to reducing
misunderstandings. Document decisions, action
items, and next steps after meetings. Share these
documents with the team so everybody has this.
And after a meeting, send out a summary email
with some key points. Not a long -winded email
that I'll never read, but a short one with some
bullet points. This is not mandatory, but you
can use visual aids like charts or diagrams.
Use it sparingly because it takes a lot of work
to do those. Make sure it really helps. And this
one is maybe me. I think I have ADD. I don't
know for sure. Never been diagnosed, but sometimes
I think I do. Our brains process and retain information
better. when it's given to us in bite -sized
chunks. Long sentences overwhelm team members
and cause them to lose focus. Also, long meetings
are the same thing. For those of you who've been
in three - and four -hour meetings, good luck
trying to keep track of everything. Not possible.
So, if you're explaining a new procedure to the
team, break it down into simple steps. First,
log in. Check your tasks and update your status.
Done. It makes the information more digestible,
but also helps your team retain it longer. One
of the most effective ways to help your team
is setting these clear goals and priorities.
When they know what they need to achieve and
what the priorities are, they can direct their
energy. towards the most important tasks. So,
for example, what I've done is at the beginning
of each week, outline key objectives and deliverables
for the team, making sure everyone understands
their responsibilities and avoid distractions.
Large tasks can be overwhelming. Yes, big time
overwhelming. and can lead to procrastination.
So help your team by breaking down complex projects
into small little chunks. Then it makes them
feel more achievable and also helps them feel
successful because they knock those things down.
And encourage the team to create a step -by -step
plan for each project task. So how about this?
Instead of tackling a major report all at once,
Break it down in sections. The research or the
outline or writing or editing. Completing smaller
tasks gives you a great feeling of progress and
motivation. Very important. Now, this is for
me because maybe I have ADD. Distractions are
a major barrier to focus. And if you're a leader,
you can help minimize distractions in the workplace.
And encourage a cultural focus by setting guidelines
for a communication workspace. One that I've
done very effectively is focus hours, where team
members can work without interruptions. I've
also had a certain team member go away for three
days. A big report needed to be updated. Go.
Don't come to meetings. Just go. And you know
what? It worked very effectively. And so during
these focus hours, never have a meeting. or non
-urgent emails, unless something's really critical.
Now, this one almost feels counterintuitive.
But regular breaks are essential for maintaining
focus and retention. Make sure your team takes
short breaks throughout the day to recharge their
mind. You've probably seen the Pomodoro technique.
I don't find it works for me. But hey, adapt
it to whatever works for you. It involves working
for 25 minutes and then taking a five -minute
break. Some people like 50 minutes and take a
10 -minute break. After four cycles, take a longer
break. I don't care what you do. Just find some
method, some cycle that works for you. Also,
continuous learning and development can enhance
focus and retention. Provide opportunities for
your team to attend workshops and training sessions.
Encouraging a growth mindset not only keeps your
team engaged, but helps them retain new information.
So, for example, you could do monthly learning
sessions where a different team member shares
insights from either a course or a seminar or
something they've come across. Great stuff. This
one I haven't found to be so useful, and that
is visualization and mind mapping. There's powerful
tools out there. You may want to look into it.
Lots of information on how to break down complex
information into simpler stuff. I've played with
it. I'm not sure that I'm excited about it. A
positive work environment impacts focus and retention.
So create a supportive atmosphere. where the
members feel valued and motivated and they will
focus better. And of course, we've talked about
this before. Celebrate achievements. Big, big,
big. Provide constructive feedback. Encourage
teamwork. So when these team members feel appreciated
and supported, they are more likely to stay focused
and committed in their work. And this one here
is really important. As a manager, Your behavior
sets the tone for the team. Demonstrate good
focus and retention habits yourself and show
that you prioritize important tasks, take breaks,
and continuously seek to learn and improve. If
you do, your team will be more likely to adopt
these habits, especially as they see you do them.
Share your strategies for staying focused and
retaining information. and encourage an open
dialogue about what works for each team member.
Very, very important. Enhancing focus and retention
in your team is essential for productivity and
success. By keeping the sentences short, setting
clear goals, breaking down tasks, minimizing
distractions, encouraging regular breaks, all
this can help your team achieve the best work.
Hey, we're out of time. I had to go so quickly.
Hey, thanks for tuning in to Ignoring the Rules.
If you found this episode helpful, please share
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I don't have all the answers. And so I'm always
happy to see your comments and information because
we are all in this together. And the more we
share information, the better off we all will
be. And so let us all know what you found that
works in your projects. Until next time. Keep
ignoring the rules and watch how fast things
change.