Archive for February 4th, 2016

High Performing Business – Project Teams – Communication

Thursday, February 4th, 2016

Michelle LaBrosse, CCPM, PMP, PMI-ACP, RYT

Skipper Anne developing leadership abilities on the first British Virgin Islands Project Team adventure in 2012.

Skipper Anne developing leadership abilities on the first British Virgin Islands Project Team adventure in 2012.

I’m on a sailing adventure this week with several project team members.   I’ve written this blog post in advance as I wanted to focus entirely on the task at hand with my project teammates rather than on staying connected to the office.  This adventure came up quickly like a fast burning brush fire.  I had wanted to get back to the British Virgin Islands, but it kept taking back seat to other more urgent requirements.  When I found a short window of opportunity, I made it happen.  It was a great time to go, plus my team and I are working on an Adventures in Project Management book.  So we, in fact, need to create adventures for the book.   (At Cheetah Learning our mission is to help people joyfully and skillfully pursue their dreams.  We do this with an emphasis on teaching accelerated project management to the masses –  for which the Project Management Institute named me  one of the most influential woman in Project Management.)

Since I was the resident expert on sailing in the British Virgin Islands, having been there once before, I became the project manager for this trip.  I was able to line up all the details of the adventure – securing the boat and skipper, getting the plane tickets, and then developing a project schedule of the rest of the pre-trip prep in two hours, a week before we left.  Since it was such a quickly planned trip, my project teammates appreciated the frequent updates I presented twice a day on the travel preparations – from a suggested packing list, to providing their preferences on the provisions, to the itinerary to share with their families, to the health requirements of where we were going.

It is our skills at project management (especially our common desire for communication)  that make every part of this sailing adventure a delight. It is so true that ninety percent of a Project Manager’s job is communication.  This Sailing trip reminds me – the better your communication, the better experience everyone has with the project.

The key to the success of this project (and most other projects as well) is to have succinctly communicated expert guidance. It becomes even more imperative when doing something very much out of the norm of day to day life.  At Cheetah Learning, we get to play the role of the seasoned expert every day for another once in a lifetime adventure – that of becoming a Project Management Professional.  While it may not be as sexy spending four days preparing to pass the tough Project Management Professional Certification exam on the fifth day, the experience is every bit as exhilarating as sailing in the British Virgin Islands.   Go on your own exhilarating adventure – download the Cheetah Smart Start for the PMP.