This three-part series explains clearer project communication to achieve desired outcomes
Communication ranks in the top 3 influences on project success.
Acclaimed US project manager William Cohen once said, “all successful projects are simply a long series of adversities that must be overcome”.
“Until my project is completed,” Cohen said, “communication is my deliverable.”
Too often, project management communication skills, especially writing, are assumed competencies. And too often, project leaders and their teams assume, not earn, the attention of their audiences.
Use active language. It’s a powerful technique for connecting with busy, time-poor decision-makers and influencers. Active language is your way of showing you want to earn the reader’s attention. Passive language puts the onus on the reader to make sense of things. And that spells trouble.
So, what’s active language and how can project leaders and their teams adopt it? Active language is engaging and identified through its use of strong verbs. You can spot passive language because boring, pompous nouns dominate, and action-engendering verbs are missing. Professor Helen Sword from the University of Auckland calls out the perils of “zombie” nouns in business writing.
Here are two ways to ensure your writing is active.
Make headings and subject lines engaging
Most people don’t know how to use these important pieces of document real estate.
They write bland, uninformative report and presentation headings and email subject lines. They write them quickly before the body text, and rarely review, except for a spellcheck.
Effective headings, subheadings or subject lines help your reader quickly connect with their topic and prepare to read on. Write headings and subject lines last, not first. Do this, and you will find it easier to:
craft the heading as a complete thought or mini headline
include a verb to make it engaging.
Here’s an example of an all-noun heading written first, not last: “The built environment”. Here’s what it looks like as a complete thought: “Realising the built environment’s health benefits”. Which is more engaging? Which prompts the reader to think “I know what this is about, and I want to read on”.
Headings without verbs are merely labels and tell us nothing. Adding a verb makes a difference.
“Project exceptions report”
“Explaining adjustments for end-of-quarter exceptions report”
Write active sentences
There are two types of sentences – active and passive. Active sentences are best in business writing because they are more succinct and easier to understand. They create a sense of immediacy and that’s important if you want your project communication to stand out.
Passive sentences, in contrast, have more words than necessary because they often reflect spoken language. Compare the passive and active examples. Which is easier to read?
“The decision to require all team members to attend the WIP meetings was made by the program manager.”
“The program manager requires all team members to attend WIPs.”
Active language reflects positively on the people leading
and managing a project. It’s clear, concise, and efficient.
It also generates a strong connection with action.
Passive language can make the writer look unsure. Not what you want from your project communication.
One easy way to spot passive sentences is the use of “by”. Rewrite sentences with “by” and you’ll make them active, shorter and clearer.
School and post-school education promote prolix and passivity. They encourage people to reach word targets, sound intelligent, and write passive sentences and headings. That's a failure in business and project communication.
Business writing must ensure outcomes. Our online training and coaching programs help people achieve clear, concise, and outcome-focused writing. More information here.