1. the majority of people do not communicate effectively – AGREE
2. the majority (65% – 90%) of all projects fail – DISAGREE - I’ve written about this topic extensively (http://quantmleap.com/blog/?s=project+failure) so I won’t elaborate here but I have seen no CREDIBLE evidence to substantiate this claim.
3. competitive advantage of PM maturity model – AGREE
4. employers recognition of worker’s motivation – DISAGREE – I’ve seen no evidence, either from my experience or from the literature I read that this is indeed the case. I will be looking for evidence before I concede on this one.

Having said that, I respect the fact that you might have had other experiences, different to mine, and those obviously have led you to make different conclusions. I would be grateful if you could provide a case study, based on your first-hand experience, on how you actually use Twitter, and what tangible benefits you actually derive from it (compared for instance with other possible modes of communication). As you state correctly, we are all here to learn from each other, so let’s give this a fair go.

Cheers, Shim.

Got your point on fomenting dialogue, and I was not offended. As I mentioned, it provided a chance for me to learn.

Serious scientific data… A scientific data search eludes my desire. I’ll give you my reasons. First, I start with a couple of theories I’ve worked come to see in practice too often:

1. the majority of people do not communicate effectively;
2. the majority (65% – 90%) of all projects fail – organizations don’t know how to scope and manage projects;
3. the majority of organizations do not understand the competitive advantage a project management maturity model and governance has for their organization’s ability to compete and thrive; and
4. the majority of employers don’t believe that their workers’ motivation to work hard is their company’s real competitive advantage

In regards to communication, for me, communication is only successful if it creates a measurable reaction.

So for me to search for studies that measure effective communication, I will be hampered with the study’s relevance once I account for variables, control group, confidence intervals, culture, and, most importantly, any ability to replicate the study.

People are huge variable.

I return to the goal of communication: action

So, we (you me and every other project management professional) are really in a bind when we deal with organizations that don’t appreciate projects, people, or communication.

And if I’m swimming against the tide as a project manager, I’m really against the tide trying to be an effective communicator looking for actionable outcomes to my communication in a sea of poor communicators.

For all of us, use whatever you can, to deliver effective communication. That means, know your audience and know your stakeholder. Twitter or smoke signals, whatever works, good luck.

Now add to our troubles that the web, email, and social media have sped up an already overwhelmed workforce when the wheel is wobbly at 5 mph, at 65 mph the wheel is going to rattle off. If the majority can’t communicate at 5 mph, it really won’t matter what medium they use going 65 mph. Twitter, in 140 characters, really clamps down on the fluff and I’ve found it great to cut through the noise.

As a reader, Twitter allows me to filter, sort, and react with great effectiveness. Many of my stakeholders, openly resistant, have found Twitter a pleasant reprieve from status reports and long-winded emails.

Thanks for your invitation to collaborate. Good luck to all of us in our pursuit to reliably deliver projects and to communicate.

Lastly, looking for studies, may in fact, just reinforce the bias we already have.

Interest viewpoint from a #PMP – social media not helping project communications – [link to post]. What do you think? #PMI

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I am, clearly, not a big Twitter fan, and although I use it to promote my blog I shy away from using it as a serious communication tool in a project context. I am still baffled by the suggestions made by some fellow bloggers, having been involved in mass twit-casts, that this medium of communication has any serious merits. From my perspective it is a clear indication of technological delusion taking over good judgement. But, as you correctly say, we are all attempting to manage projects effectively, and more importantly, it is our duty to communicate, collaborate and exchange ideas in an attempt to extend and enrich our collective knowledge and know-how.

One point regarding a question raised in your comment. What I am after is a serious scientific study that demonstrates how large number of short communications can be more productive than other modes of more elaborate communication methods. The issue here is not just whether or not Twitter can be a productive communication tool, the question is more about whether or not it can be at par with other modes, such that using Twitter can equally positively contribute to the project’s communication strategy. Until such time that such evidence is provided I choose to remain a sceptic on this issue.

Much appreciate your comments and your thoughts.

Cheers, Shim.

An interesting project management blog that calls social media a fad with little help for project managers [link to post] #pmp #pmi

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