Communication

Is communication important? A client tells me it is. He sends me cell phone, which I do not carry. If I wanted to carry a cellphone, I would. I had an iPhone, which I got rid of.

One of my best clients has a saying that goes something like, Don't tell me about the labor pains, just show me a baby.

That's how I tend to run things. But this client wants to know everything. Minutiae. Takes time to explain stuff that, and then he doesn't understand anyway because a lot of it requires background to understand.

Communication? Not important. Getting the job done without interruptions, important. My .02.

 

Obviously, it really depends upon the nature of the project and your relationship with the buyer. If it is a small project with a projected 1-hour turnaround, no communication during the project is necessary. On the other hand, if it is a six-month project with multiple milestones, payments, etc., good communication is essential. It also depends upon the nature of your customer. Is s/he a worrier who has been burnt by vendors before? Or is s/he someone who does not sweat the details and just wants results? To be a successful vendor over the longterm, you need to be able to adapt to the project needs regarding communications.

 

It all depends. Maybe he's paying a bit too much for his budget and wants to make sure the job is done right.

But overall I'd be bothered a bit by the fact that I am not supposed to know how things are going. Particularly if I was paying more than just a few bucks.

Is he an exception or do you get that type of customers all the time? If he's an exception I don't see the point for this thread.

 

Yeah! Communication is the most important thing in any area of your life...

I will take your example... Since two months ago I start to work for a 2 companies. The first company it deals with Internet Marketing and the other with writing and discussing an articles. With the first company I communicate by skype and I don't have some problems with that, because my skype acc is 24/7 online on PC and smartphone... But the problem is that I have a boss who is having a problem with ego-complex and every time when I want to give some idea about the job, he need a time to figure out that I am only try to bring something new witch can bring them a bigger profit.

The story with other company is different. I don't have problems with my boss, but because we are communicate on messenger, sometimes I have to wait him 1 or 2 days to reply my messages.

 

I think some people here are conflating communication with project management.

If I ask a Hivelocity to set up another server for me, it would waste my time and their to ask whether Steve is setting it up or Phil. It would waste my time if I asked what service they use for inter-organzational communication. It would waste my time and theirs if I engaged them in any way that was not directly conducive towards their setting up of the server. Micromanaging the affairs of others is not good business.

Project management does require communication, but only to the degree that it keeps people essential to to the project informed of their responsibilities. Updating Bob in Denver and Carl in NY, when they have no role to play in the project is just playing at "team spirit." Once you get a committee involved, progress comes to a halt.