Reporting  

People listen and speak in different ways

Some start with the details and work towards the conclusions and some work from the conclusions and then give the detail that is asked for. This is applicable to how they listen AND how they speak. Many like to listen from the general to the specific but like to speak from the specific to the general so it isn’t necessarily indicative of how people like to hear if they are detail oriented speakers.

A big part improving project management skills is refining your ability to operate, report and manage a project from a strategic perspective. The culture thinks operationally and unless you intentionally "rethink" your projects frequently, you will get caught in the operational view and lose sight of the overall picture.

To train yourself to think strategically, you must be able to relate the contents of your reports to some element of the strategy.

Which result of the organization is your project focused on?

How is your project going to improve productivity, i.e., speed up producing the results that are being worked on, add results to be produced with the current staff, or relieve a bottleneck?

When you are reporting, you need to be providing the listener with information that is crucial to the success or failure of these issues.

Note: This reporting model can be used for any type of report. The focus is on strategy in this document, but some high level goal, key to your department or group would suffice.   

Preparation is an oft ignored process that is a worthwhile exercise. Reporting from the seat of your pants might seem easy when you only have three points to report, but in fact, it’s not. You have to be able to justify those three points and report on them with enough meat - condensed into three minutes - to leave the listener certain that

1) you are in control,

2) you know what is going on, and

3) you know what s/he considers important about this project.

You also need to leave the listener(s) with information about the projects that will serve in decision making, resource allocation and reporting to his or her management.

Preparation is the key to all of this. If you aren’t certain about a set of things, then you can give certainty about the un-certainty ("I don’t know X, but I will have that information by Thursday and will let you know right away.")

Preparation also makes for an interesting report. When you listen to a report that is prepared (and not too detailed), it is compelling and demands attention. Attention wanders when the reporter is wandering or at all unsure of the content of the report.

* Have something to accomplish. Make sure you have a result you want to produce with your report. It may be simply getting information across, but even that should be distinguished as an intended result.

* Who is in control? Don’t undermine your position as project manager by using phrases that show you out of control. "I can’t" phrases indicate you have given your control to the circumstances. "I haven’t" leaves you in control, albeit behind or even remiss. Don’t use "I can’t" phrases if you are embarrassed at the fact that "you haven’t."

* Focus on three main points. State what they are at the beginning of the report. Don’t fudge this. Don’t squeeze 10 points under three headings.

* Do you have requests? Let the listener know if there are requests you have before you start on a topic. It will alter how s/he listens.

* If you present a problem, also present a solution. If you are presenting options, also present your recommendation. If you have no recommendation or solution, let the listener know that you have "tried X, Y and Z and have run out of solutions" or that you "haven’t figured out a viable solution after having discussed it with A, B, and C persons."

* Be careful if you raise an alarm. If you are reporting a serious problem, make sure you are doing it responsibly. Make sure you have had the conversations with those in the management structure which would be appropriate before raising an alarm in these meetings. This is not to discourage you from doing that, but unless you have the appropriate conversations, it will seem as if you went and tattled on others. Don’t blindside people

* Write it down. Even if you don’t follow exactly what you say, having written it down will crystallize your report in your mind.

* Practice. Say it out loud and pretend you are in a conversation with the listeners. What questions does s/he have? What else does s/he need to know? Preparation and practice are two useful tools.

* Relatedness is the foundation of accomplishment. The better you relate to your listener, the more you can accomplish with your report. This is not the kind of relationship in which you are intimately acquainted with the history of the listener, but one in which you are fully aware of their stake in the project and their interest in the project. Find out what that is.

This is only the start of a list. What would you add to it? Take away?

1) Do you have three important items to focus on?

2) Have you considered what is important to the listener?

3) Do you have any requests for the listener?

4) Which part of the strategy do your points relate to?

5) Have you practiced your report?

6) Do you have recommendations for each set of options you are presenting?

7) Do you have possible solutions for each problem?

8) Have you outlined the path you have followed already for each issue you are asking for help with?