by Mark Davison
February 14. 2011 10:57
Your colleagues, sponsors, superiors and others on the project are frustrating you with their time wasting habits, decisions and meetings. You find that your ability to meet goals and objectives is being compromised. How do you effectively - but diplomatically - offer criticism and get the changes made that you need to be successful? Here are some tips.
- Do your homework - document the problems, the consequences and impact, and think through possible solutions that create a win/win
- Know the political environment - workplace forces, people issues, opinions, chain of command, roles/responsibilities, etc.
- Make an appointment - with the appropriate person or people for a private, uninterrupted dialogue
- Set the tone - open the discussion in the spirit of feedback, suggestions and process improvement, making it known that success if paramount in your mind
- Be specific - use the homework you've already prepared to present the facts not the emotions
- Personalize your statements - with “I” not “You”, and don't be overly aggressive or accusing
- Offer solutions - the ones you've already thought about, and lead the discussion toward solutions that create a win/win
- Conclude - with agreement on next steps to implement improvements and a hearty thank you.
In a project with limited time, resources and budget it's unfair to withhold suggestions for improvement from others, particularly when they impact the ability of individuals or teams in meeting their objectives. Handled correctly, situations such as this should not result in “shooting the messenger,” but with mutual acknowledgement that improvements are important and agreement to work together for the benefit of the project team. In the best case, all parties come away with new awareness of how their work impacts others, and closer ties to work together as a unified team
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