Creating Communication Plans For Projects

When I first asked my team for feedback, the room went SILENT. Why? Because speaking the truth felt too risky. This isn’t just my story, it’s the reality in countless workplaces. Here’s the truth: feedback is a minefield. 🔴 Done wrong? It breeds tension and mistrust. 🟢 Done right? It fixes problems—it transforms teams. Here’s how to get it right: 1/ Timing Is Everything ↳ Feedback during chaos? Disaster. Wait for a calm moment. ↳ A private 1-on-1 works best. 💡 Pro Tip: Start with a positive comment—it sets the tone. 2/ Lead With Solutions ↳ Complaints without fixes = noise. Solutions = action. ↳ Try this: “We could avoid confusion with more clarity upfront. What do you think?” 💡 Pro Tip: Frame solutions as support for the team’s success, not criticism. 3/ Be Clear, Not Cryptic ↳ Instead of “Communication could be better,” say: ↳ “Inconsistent updates slow me down. Weekly check-ins might help.” 💡 Pro Tip: Use examples to back it up—clarity builds trust. 4/ Use “I” Instead of “You” ↳ Feedback isn’t a blame game. Stick to “I” statements to share your perspective. ↳ Example: “I feel I don’t have enough autonomy to contribute fully.” 💡 Pro Tip: Highlight how solving the issue benefits the whole team. 5/ Know When to Let It Go ↳ Pick your battles. Save your energy for what really matters. ↳ Does this impact the team or my work? If not, let it go. 💡 Pro Tip: Focus feedback on what aligns with team goals. 6/ End With a Vision ↳ Great feedback doesn’t just fix problems—it builds something better. ↳ Paint the big picture: “Here’s how this change could help the team hit the next level.” 💡 Pro Tip: Vision-driven feedback inspires action. The takeaway? Feedback isn’t about proving you’re right, it’s about progress. Master these steps, and you’ll not only solve problems, but you’ll also earn respect and trust. What’s your biggest feedback fail (or win)? Share it below. 👇 ♻️ Repost to help your network get better! ➕ And follow Shulin Lee for more.

(1/2) Years ago, I was asked to lead a team when their previous manager left the organization. When I joined, I realized that the CXO to whom the team reported and the team members, both were unhappy. The CXO complained that he had no idea about what the team was working on. So, he naturally assumed that the team was not doing anything productive. I setup a weekly cadence for the next 4 weeks between the CXO and the full team to discuss the work and the next steps. The next 4 weeks were a lot of work but we were able to build the trust with the CXO. Our weekly cadence turned into a monthly cadence post that. People lose trust not when you make a mistake, but when they lack visibility. If you are starting something new - Overcommunicate. Once the trust develops, the frequency of communication will automatically adjust as per your preference. The team members were unhappy for entirely different reasons. I will cover that part in the post tomorrow. #careers #management #personaldevelopment If you liked this, follow Ankur Garg for more.

Most project managers don't give bad status updates. They give useless ones. They mistake motion for progress. Stakeholders can't make decisions because they don't understand what you actually need. Use The Status Update Stack: 1/ Activity → "Here's what we did this week." → Lists tasks and meetings → Feels productive but drives nothing → Stakeholders zone out → Most PMs never move past this 2/ Progress → "Here's what actually changed." → Connect work to measurable outcomes → Shows momentum, not just motion → People see real movement → This step builds confidence 3/ Risk → "Here's what could derail us." → Surface problems before they explode → Include probability and impact → Stakeholders can actually help solve → This is where trust gets built 4/ Decision → "Here's what I need from you." → Clear asks with specific deadlines → Removes all ambiguity → Drives immediate action → This is where value actually lives Most PMs stay stuck at Level 1. Then wonder why projects drift. Status updates aren't about documenting your time. They're about driving stakeholder decisions. ♻️ Repost and follow Justin Bateh, PhD for more.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲? They don’t set expectations clearly. (And it costs them trust, time, and retention.) Here’s what happens: You sign a new client. They’re excited. You’re excited. Everything feels aligned. But weeks in—they’re frustrated. Not because you didn’t deliver. But because they thought you’d deliver something else. Faster. Bigger. More frequent. More involved. And now you’re stuck explaining. Clarifying. Defending. The truth? 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻. I learned this the hard way early in my journey. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱: → Daily strategy updates → Creative direction → Hands-on execution → Basically... everything but my signature Meanwhile, I thought I was hired for one defined deliverable. Neither of us was wrong—we were just never on the same page. So at my agency, we changed that. To solve this, we now create detailed 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: → Exactly what’s expected (and what isn’t) → Preferred communication style → Scope, cadence, outcomes And we walk through it all during the 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹—no assumptions. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. → Projects run smoother → Clients feel heard → Boundaries are respected → And expectations are mutual—not imagined Clarity isn’t optional. It’s foundational. 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟰𝟯/𝟯𝟱𝟬. 𝗣.𝗦. 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗖𝗫𝗢𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻.

If you're an AE, here are 10 ways to punch up any executive summary. To make sure it's one your buyers will actually read, love and share: 1/ Lead with internal language referencing an exec priority. 2/ Use a two-sentence TL;DR at the top with the ask + timeline. 3/ Add a short anecdote, to create a visual that supports the data. 4/ Make sure your data points come from inside the customer's org. 5/ Whenever you add data, it's a chance to cut word count. 6/ Count the # of rewrites to your problem statement. If < 3, you've got work. 7/ Include alternative approaches that were ruled out. Always think, "Could this customer solve this problem with another category entirely?" 8/ People read headers, bold, tables, bullets and underlines. Usually in that order. If they like all that, then they'll read again from the top. 9/ Execs think in "ranges" of possibility. Use scenarios and sensitivities, not a single ROI number. 10/ Show how that range depends on what you need from them. Time, people resources, change management. Not just $ in a contract.

I thought we were on the same page…Weeks later, I realized I’d missed the signals. My remote team member didn’t understand the assignment. So I built a tool to fix that. It wasn’t a lack of effort. It was a lack of clarity. This was one of the early mistakes I made while working remotely and leading teams spread across time zones and office sites. We were working from behind virtual curtains - missing the informal cues and hallway check-ins that used to fill in the gaps. So I built new tools to avoid those costly misunderstandings. One of them is the 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳. This 𝟭𝟱-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 can save hours of wasted effort and build trust across distance. ✅ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿?  After assigning a project, ask your direct report to complete the Assignment Brief. Review together (live or async). Align on milestones. Prevent rework. ✅ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?  Proactively share a completed Assignment Brief with your manager or team leader after receiving a new project. You’ll signal initiative and ensure clarity from the start. 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳: https://lnkd.in/gc5nzEBj This is just one of the tactical tools we teach in the 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 - alongside content from Dave Ulrich and support from the Udemy Business Leadership Academy. 👀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟮,𝟴𝟬𝟬 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gUmVw9dc

2 — Solving Goal & Priority Misalignment with Is/Is Not + Perspective Circle.  SOLVING THINGS with SYSTEMS THINKING (STwST) — a series of mini, real-world applications of DSRP. When a team says, “We’re working hard but not pulling in the same direction,” it’s usually not a motivation problem. And it’s rarely a communication problem. It’s a distinction + perspective problem. Different people are carrying different mental pictures of what the goal is and is not, and different perspectives on what actually counts as a priority. So even when everyone uses the same words, they’re not aiming at the same thing. They might be reading the same page but interpreting it differently. Two simple thinking moves fix this. The first is an Is / Is Not list. Take the goal and the priorities and make them explicit: what this goal is, what it is not; what matters now, and what does not. This forces clarity where assumptions usually hide. The second is a Perspective Circle. You don’t need everyone to think the same way—but you do need everyone looking at the same picture. Different roles, levels, and functions can keep their own viewpoints, as long as they’re all anchored to the same shared view. Then keep that shared model on the table. Revisit it at the start of meetings. Use it when tradeoffs show up. Let people argue with it, stress-test it, and refine it. Don’t laminate it. Put it to work. Alignment doesn’t come from hearing the right words once. It comes from people rebuilding their own internal picture until it matches the shared one. When that happens, language cleans up, decisions get faster, resources line up, and the friction fades—because action always follows the mental model. If you listen carefully, misalignment announces itself in sentences that shouldn’t exist if the goal were truly shared. Those sentences are the signal. #STwST #SystemsThinking #CabreraLabPodcast #SystemsThinkingStandardsInstitute

📌 How to do Prioritization as a Product Manager. Product Managers face a problem of plenty. You have so many things to do, many problems, many solutions, and many suggestions, but are always limited by time, bandwidth, and resources. Now you need to obsessively prioritize and filter ideas before you put them in the roadmap. But how do you prioritize? The simplest yet most powerful framework that most PMs rely on is the Impact v/s Effort Framework. The impact is determined by: - Potential revenue estimate, - Customer value, - Alignment with company goals, - Demand from the market, or - Any other relevant metrics that align with product goals. Impact estimation is mostly the responsibility of the product manager. The effort is determined by: - Development complexity, - Engineering efforts, - The time required & cost, - Operations complexity, etc. Effort estimation is mostly done by the delivery teams like engineers, design, ops, etc. This is a collaborative exercise. The next step is to visualize this through an impact v/s effort matrix. Provided that the estimations are done correctly, the low efforts & high impact items are picked at the earliest, & other things are prioritized in a logical order. 📌 3 Tips to take your prioritization game to the next level: 1. Consider tradeoffs at every step: Some high efforts ideas could be of high strategic importance, similarly some low-impact ideas could be critical for customer experience. Understand the situation from all angles. 2. Look out for red flags: All ideas look high impact, or the backlog is completely filled with low effort low impact ideas. This indicates either the PM is not competent at impact estimation or is not considering enough ideas during product discovery before deciding on the best one. 3. Validate high-effort ideas by first converting them into low efforts experiments. For example: Rather than converting your whole website into all Indian languages, try to convert the most popular pages into 3 popular languages, observe the results and then decide to roll back or go all in. 📌 Other frameworks for prioritization: There will be times when you'll need more detailed frameworks to prioritize, some of the other helpful frameworks are: 1. KANO: Puts customer satisfaction at the center and distinguishes between basic expectations, performance attributes, and delighters. 2. MOSCOW: categorizes requirements into four priority levels: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have. 3. RICE: adds to more dimensions of Reach and Confidence to make Impact v/s Effort more reliable and exhaustive. ✨ Prioritization is a supercritical and useful skill for product managers, during their work, stakeholder management, and also during interviews. Do you think this would be helpful for you? I share helpful insights for product managers almost every day, consider connecting here 👉🏽 Ankit Shukla to not miss out. #productmanagement #prioritization

Every task that comes to me is urgent and important. Sound familiar? This is a challenge many of us face daily. Early in my career, prioritization was relatively straightforward—my manager told me what to focus on. But as I grew, the game changed. Suddenly, I was managing a flood of requests, far more than I could handle, and the signals from others weren’t helpful. Everything was “important.” Everything was “urgent.” Often, it was both. To handle this effectively, I realized I needed to develop an internal prioritization compass. It wasn’t easy, but it was transformative. Here are 6 strategies to help you build your own: 1/ Be crystal clear on key goals Start by understanding your organization’s goals—at the company, department, and team levels. Attend organizational forums, departmental reviews, or leadership updates to stay informed. When in doubt, use your 1:1s with leaders to ask: What does success look like? 2/ Deeply understand KPIs Metrics guide decision-making, but not all metrics are equally valuable. Take the time to understand your team's or function's key performance indicators (KPIs). Know what they measure, what they mean, and how to assess their impact. 3/ Be assertive to protect priorities Not every task deserves your attention. Practice saying “no” or deferring requests that don’t align with key goals or metrics. Assertiveness is not about being inflexible—it’s about protecting your capacity to focus on what truly matters. 4/ Set and reset expectations Priorities change, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is working on misaligned tasks. Keep open communication with your manager and stakeholders about evolving priorities. When new demands arise, clarify and reset expectations. 5/ Use 1:1s to align with your manager Leverage your 1:1s as a strategic tool. Share your current priorities, validate them against your manager’s expectations, and discuss any conflicts or challenges. 6/ Clarify the escalation process When priorities conflict, don’t let disagreements linger. If you can’t agree quickly, escalate the issue to your manager. This avoids unnecessary churn, ensures trust remains intact, and keeps momentum focused on results. PS: You won’t always get it right—and that’s okay. Treat each misstep as an opportunity to refine your compass. What’s one tip you’ve used to prioritize when everything feels urgent? --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Executives don’t want the full story. They want the "get to the point and tell me why it matters" version. I learned this the hard way in my early days in corporate strategy. I once walked a GM through a 23 slide deck, only for him to ask: "So what decision are you recommending?" Brutal. 🤯 Here’s a simple 4-step framework I teach corporate teams to make sure execs actually listen: 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Literally, open with the answer. Say: 'We recommend X because of Y.' Let them stop you if they want context. But don’t bury your point on slide 15. 𝟮. 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲. If your exec thinks in quarters, don’t talk in days. Match their level of detail. Don’t make them reframe your data into something that actually matters at their level. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. One or two charts with powerful takeaways can often be more effective than a detailed slide deck with 28 charts and no points. You can always drop additional details in an appendix. 𝟰. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮. Executives don’t want non-committal reporting. They want recommendations. Don't just give them the data, give them your perspective: 'There are 2 options: A and B. We recommend B because it’s 30% faster with less risk.' Find this tip useful? Please give this a like 👍 or repost ♻️ to help others and follow me Daniel Galletta for more tips like these.