Do you want to know The Real Secret? (hmmmm, I think I will turn this into a movie and have a following)

You know projects are about people, right?

You know failure to communicate is one of the biggest causes of project failure, don’t you?

Provide feedback.

The sky opens up, new age music is sounding from the speakers. The Scret to clear and effective communication is …

Feedback.

In communication you have a sender and a receiver. The sender tries to get a message across. The receiver provides reflection on how the message is received or encourages the sender to clarify the message.

With simple Reflective Listening techniques you can develop your communication skills:

Paraphrasing: repeat the same information, but only in different words.
Reflecting: reply with the same words, only add additional emotion to it (say it more strongly or more sad).
Questioning: ask for more information to have a better understanding.
Summarize: create a summary of the message sent.

(I tried to locate the original source of these techniques, but failed. If you know, drop a comment.)

You can create anything into a habit, just by repeating it, over and over again. Provide feedback for a couple of weeks, and you will experience an amazing boost in the effectiveness of your communication.

Just don’t over do it. It may scare people.

Bas de Baar helps people find ways to enjoy the diversity of human interaction in their organizations so that they can get out of their own way and achieve their goals. - The Secret To Boosting Your Effectiveness As A Project Manager is a post from: Project Shrink.