successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

• Use language that shows you acknowledge how attentive and cooperative
the team members are e.g. “I can see that you have been listening very
attentively, judging by your superb contribution”.
• You can also bring the message to life by using language that encourages
forging ahead with the project rather than that which slows down effort.
Words like: “At this pace, we are really getting there”, or “The good ideas from
the team have taken us far”, make the members feel they are achieving.
However, words like: “This project is making our hair turn grey”, or “We
always have palpitations when we think about this monstrous project”, or
“Colleagues, I think there is burnout on account of this project”, can only
make your message lifeless.
• Occasionally, ask referential questions while you are making the
presentation. These are questions to which you genuinely do not know the
answer, open-ended questions that stimulate original responses. When
members say why they think or feel in a certain way, chances are that they
will be compelled to be mentally alert and interact most meaningfully.
Remember these are suggestions only, and for them to be successfully applied
depends on your situation. You can only come to terms with them if you say
something personal about them in the activity that follows.
?? Activity
1. How does citation of examples during presentation bring your message to
life?
2. In what ways does good humour improve interactivity when the project
manager is putting across ideas?
3. Suggest any two referential or open-ended questions that you can use to
bring your message to life.
4. Why do you think such questions achieve the goal of enlivening your
message?
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