by Katie Mead

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

The success of any project, from facilitating key special events to designing a communications strategy, is dependent upon great coordination.  However, it can be difficult putting your finger on which criteria will best set a project up for success.  Whether designing and coordinating your own project or looking to hire an exceptional project coordinator, here are some key competencies to keep top of mind:

 1. ‘Getting it’ and making changes
A talented project coordinator will quickly and effectively grasp the project goals and be able to readily articulate them (translating technical jargon, if necessary) to the team.  And it’s not just the goals at the project outset that matter: great coordination depends upon agility and flexibility – the ability to respond to changes as they occur.  It’s not enough to meet every pre-arranged milestone and deliverable on time and on budget if the project goals have changed.  Constant vigilance and the ability to change tacks are essential to good project coordination.

2. Team building
The results of a project are usually reliant upon the efforts of a team.  With a focus on effective team-building, a great coordinator is able to marshal the resources of many, while maintaining the vision of the project’s greater scope.  Especially valuable is the ability to anticipate and remove barriers to team-effectiveness before they become problematic.  A successful team will result in a successful completed project.

3. The great balancing act
Intrinsic to any project, regardless of its size or complexity, is the buy-in of various stakeholders.  Whether the development team, business sponsors, sales, marketing or human resources, each group has its own agenda and priorities.  It’s the job of the project coordinator to keep all these ‘balls in the air’, to stay abreast of the different needs and requirements of each stakeholder, and juggle priorities appropriately.  This balancing act is intensified when the project also requires the facilitation of outside or outsourced talent.

4. Following the leader
Seamless project coordination requires excellent project leadership ability.  An exceptional project coordinator possesses a variety of important skills and qualities: exceptional communication, the ability to motivate others, the ability to negotiate, as well as consummate organizational and conflict resolution skills, just to name a few. A project will be successful according to how well the project coordinator manages this skill-set.

5. Natural-born diplomacy
Regardless of the nature of the project, any competent project coordinator will tell you that effective project coordination deals with people as its first priority.  Great diplomacy skills are required to keep people productive and feeling valued. And if problems can’t be sidestepped, great conflict resolution skills are essential.   The ability to smooth out people-problems when they occur with great tact and respect is an invaluable skill, and an intrinsic tool in any good project coordinator’s toolkit.

6. Persistence
An often overlooked, but nevertheless essential, part of effective project coordination is persistence.  To overcome all the various obstacles and challenges that can arise, a great project coordinator depends upon both a sense of humour and a flexible contingency plan.  The ability to regroup and come at the problem from a different angle is an important skill for any seasoned project coordinator.

7. Trustworthiness
Let’s face it: hiring an excellent project coordinator ultimately comes down to trust.  Look closely at their credentials: it’s guaranteed that a seasoned coordinator will have a demonstrable track record of success and excellent references.  An effective project coordinator will take the needs of the project and run with it.  Along the way, they’ll go the distance by utilizing great communication skills and transparent processes to put you at ease while ensuring delivery of a successful finished project, on time and on budget. 

Katie Mead is the co-founder of Springboard Consulting, Katie is a passionate about good communication.  From a diverse background in the fine arts, she has developed a proven track record of success working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her particular areas of expertise include marketing, grant writing, non-profit resource building and management, fundraising, and the design and launch of various keynote projects and events.  Katie can be reached at:  katie@springboardconsulting.ca

by Katie Mead

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

We all know the value of superlative communication skills.  However, too often when we think of being a great communicator we think ‘words’ – what we say and how we say it.  But a crucial aspect of being a great communicator is having great listening skills.  Excellent communication is a two way street – here are some tips to hone your listening skills:

Repeat it back
One of the best ways to ensure you’ve heard correctly is to repeat the information as it’s given.  This will help to avoid misunderstandings down the road, and indicate in the moment a high level of involvement.  It proves you were listening and helps you remember what was said later.

Write it down 
Remember taking notes at school?  For memory retention this is a great tool.  At a directors’ meeting, a job interview, or a sales pitch, let your audience know you’ll be taking notes and write down all the important points.  You’ll broadcast your commitment to the conversation and be amazed at how much you remember at the end of the day.

Ask questions
Great listening is also about clarity, and the best way to ensure understanding is to ask questions.  If there’s something you’re not clear about, ask.  If you want to show your audience that you are truly engaged by what they’re saying, ask.  It will be clear that you’re paying attention, and they’ll appreciate your interest.

Maintain eye-contact
We’ve all had conversations with someone who won’t look you in the eye, and we all know how unsettling that can be.  To be a great listener, you have to pay attention.  And one of the best ways to focus on doing that is to maintain eye-contact.  The speaker will feel respected by your attention level, and it will give you a great chance to pick up on any non-verbal cues.  Again, it’s all about clarity.
 
Avoid distraction
As a great listener you want your speaker to know that you’re paying attention.  Turn off your phone, turn off your TV, resist the temptation to check your email, and let others know that you don’t want to be disturbed.  Make sure you choose a setting in which you’re both comfortable – this could be your office or a busy coffee shop – whichever suits the situation best. By demonstrating consideration and respect, you’ll also make it easier to focus on what you’re hearing.

Practice makes perfect
Like any learned skill, the best way to master being a good listener is to practice.  Every time someone engages you in conversation, practice listening actively.  Whether at the playground or a cocktail party, make the most of your opportunity to practice listening. Not only will you strengthen existing relationships, but you’ll make active listening a habit.

Don’t make it about you
Listening with empathy goes a long way to becoming a great listener.  If you’re not thinking about how what the speaker’s saying relates to you, or what your response should be, you’ll be more engaged and won’t miss key concepts.  If you truly want to hear what the other person is saying you’ll find it much easier to listen actively and remember what was said.
 
Developing great communication skills takes time.  Focusing on what someone else is saying will help you understand and communicate with them better; so will knowing the difference between hearing and really listening.  To be a great communicator knowing what to say is only half the battle.  Knowing when to listen is just as important.  Keep your mouth shut, your ears open, listen with respect and good intentions, and you’ll learn a lot.

Katie Mead is the co-founder of Springboard Consulting, Katie is a passionate about good communication.  From a diverse background in the fine arts, she has developed a proven track record of success working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her particular areas of expertise include marketing, grant writing, non-profit resource building and management, fundraising, and the design and launch of various keynote projects and events.  Katie serves as a founding member of RECREATURA_Arts & Culture, an international arts organization.  Read more from Katie on her blog site: A Love of Art.

by Katie Mead

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

Regardless of your message, every great leader knows the power of a good story.  While facts and figures are essential, it’s in crafting that information into a compelling, inspiring narrative that will inspire in your audience everything from deep understanding to action.  As a leadership tool, storytelling can be a powerful, persuasive technique to capture your audiences’ attention and bring home your meaning.  It’s important to match the type of story to the occasion, and once mastered, these techniques are powerful tools.

Here are five kinds of stories guaranteed to get your point across:

1. ‘I Am’ Stories
Make things personal.  When striving to lead a team one of the greatest challenges may be getting everyone on your side.  Revealing who you are and what motivates you may go a long way to building trust among your team members.  Presenting yourself as fallible by offering a humorous anecdote can help break down any defensive walls or perceived barriers, as well as make you seem more approachable.  Explaining your motivation, the ‘why you’re here’, helps assure your team that you’re not interested in hidden agendas but simply want to work well together.

2. Teaching Stories
Demonstrations are some of the most effective teaching tools.  Think of parables or morality tales – how many fables can you remember?  Use teaching stories to illustrate examples; this demonstration of your point helps people learn and remember your message.  A simple narrative clarifies your meaning and makes it much more memorable.  Your audience may be more sophisticated than most children but the learning principle is the same.  Drive a good story home by using a relevant example and your audience will get the point.

3. Value Stories
What’s in a word?  When talking about values it’s important to remember that esoteric concepts may mean different things to different people.  How do you define integrity or authenticity?  In wanting to ensure clarity and avoid inaccurate assumptions, tell a story illustrating this value in action.  Your team can’t know what a particular value means to you (or how to satisfy your expectations) unless you guarantee that you’re all on the same page.  If great customer service is important in your business then tell a story that exemplifies this.  Using a value story can help guarantee that you’re all starting from the same place, right from the get-go.

4. Doubt Stories
At some point you’ll have to persuade your audience.  Whether you’re pitching a service or outlining a new business practice, your audience will have doubts.  If you can respectfully head them off by indicating that you ‘know what they’re thinking’ and respect their thoughts, you’ll be much closer to getting your point across and convincing them that you’re right.  Anticipate what the objections might be, and provide descriptive examples of how this objection doesn’t apply or might be transformed.  Use the story to show that you are actively listening and are committed to creatively meeting your audience’s needs.

5. Vision Stories
Everyone needs inspiration.  Use a vision story to remind your team of why they’re doing what they’re doing, and to give them a lift.  If you all share a common goal, choose a story that illustrates this and helps everyone envision success.  It will help renew their commitment levels and boost morale.  Be authentic – tell the story with conviction and emotion and you’ll be sure to enhance your audience’s buy-in.  A well delivered story can be the ultimate pep talk.

Some last words
Regardless of which type of story best communicates your message, keeping these tips in mind will be sure to enhance your effectiveness:

Make the story an experience.  Try to appeal to as many of your listener’s senses as possible.  Don’t just tell the story – paint the picture and show them what you mean.
Never forget to practice.   Like any performance, good story-telling is an art.  Hone your craft by practicing – not only will this allow you to pay more attention to your audience, but you will be much more effective if you come across as confident and knowledgeable. 

And lastly,
Always be authentic.  Everyone can spot a faker.  Choose your stories wisely and tell them truthfully with real emotion. If your audience thinks you’re lying to them, your story will undermine your integrity.  Tell it with authenticity and you’ll move and inspire.

Katie Mead is the co-founder of Springboard Consulting, Katie is a passionate about good communication.  From a diverse background in the fine arts, she has developed a proven track record of success working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her particular areas of expertise include marketing, grant writing, non-profit resource building and management, fundraising, and the design and launch of various keynote projects and events.  Katie serves as a founding member of RECREATURA_Arts & Culture, an international arts organization.  Read more from Katie on her blog site: A Love of Art.

by Katie Mead

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

Communication, even with great content, is nothing without trust.

Elusive and essential, whether personal or professional, trust is an intrinsic part of every successful relationship.  But in our modern age of de-personalization and lightning-quick information transfers, how do you ensure that the necessary trust is developed?

More than words
Effective communication is also an essential tool for relationship development; from a supervisor to her employees or a business owner to his clients, what you say and how you say it has a crucial impact on the ways you build trust.  In our climate of ever expanding social media options, there are countless ways to reach out to our audience; how do we ensure that we really connect?  Every relationship is unique, but here are some commonalities shared by great communicators:

Despite the adage ‘no news is good news’, make sure that you do the opposite. 
There’s nothing worse than being left hanging – as an employee, a client, or a prospective contractor.  Whether or not you’re the key decision-maker, and even if you don’t have much new information to impart, use all available channels to update your audience.  Thanks to applications like Twitter, Facebook, and endless instant messaging options (not to mention the good, old-fashioned phone), it’s amazingly easy to stay in touch.  A quick note apprising someone of the situation will put them at ease and help them trust you – as well as convince them that you will indeed be in touch as soon as you’ve got real news. 

When getting the point across, make sure to tell the whole story. 
Lots of would-be communicators do a good job of relaying the facts, but that’s not enough; they don’t connect the dots.  Giving someone the whole story and telling them how the facts inter-relate is important. If you assume that the information is obvious you risk erroneous interpretations and misunderstandings.   Understanding the ‘why’ will strengthen commitment levels too: people are more invested in their actions when they know why they’re doing them.

Remember that your role as a good communicator includes helping others make good decisions.  To do this it’s essential that you’re truthful – have the courage to tell the truth and expect honesty in return.  That’s not to say that you must divulge every piece of information, but telling someone that you’re uncomfortable saying more engenders more trust than dissembling or telling a half-truth.  It’s only when we’re given all the facts that we can make informed decisions.   An effective communication strategy is one that enables good decisions – your audience will thank you for this, and it will go a long way toward building solid relationships.

You must be accountable for your own message. 
Don’t pass the buck or absolve yourself of responsibility even when the message you’ve got to pass on is a hard one to give.  Don’t hide behind the guise of messenger – email certainly has its place, but a difficult message is better received in person or on the phone.  Choose your words carefully, but remember that people respond to authenticity and this coupled with respect and compassion will go a long way to developing solid relationships, even in tough times.

Above all, building trust takes time. 
Effective communication is an ongoing and continuous process that evolves and develops alongside your message.  Words mean a lot, but when they’re paired with consistent action you’ve got a truly powerful message.  If they are trust-based, great communication skills will continue to work for you as you build morale, boost a profile or grow your business through the referrals of satisfied customers.

The bottom line
Great communicators know the value and power of trust as essential element of effective communication.  Whether your medium is verbal or textual, developing solid trust-based relationships will make your audience sit up and listen.

Katie Mead is the co-founder of Springboard Consulting, Katie is a passionate about good communication.  From a diverse background in the fine arts, she has developed a proven track record of success working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her particular areas of expertise include marketing, grant writing, non-profit resource building and management, fundraising, and the design and launch of various keynote projects and events.  Katie serves as a founding member of RECREATURA_Arts & Culture, an international arts organization.  Read more from Katie on her blog site: A Love of Art.