2. The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
– George Bernard Shaw
Okay, this quote fits almost all life situations, and it is especially applicable to project portfolio managers. Remember that project portfolio managers are a link between corporate management, resource managers, program managers, and project managers. It is imperative that the person communicating between these departments and functions have soft skills, or the communication will fail.
Successful communication in PPM includes communicating project ideas from the outset, clarifying requirements and expectations with the teams, clearly addressing grievances, documenting decisions in meetings, communicating changes to all participants, meaningfully forwarding reports, and communicating even seemingly trivial things. One piece of advice is to avoid trains of thought such as “that is obvious, so I don’t need to say it.”