I was talking to my friend who’s a project manager. He had to travel to be at his client’s office for a few months. He was talking how it was difficult to get a clear status update from his offshore team during those months:
“All that I wanted to know is whether something is done or not. And yet, I don’t get it. It’s always ‘Yes, but….. “.
“Then they start telling reasons: I was waiting for such and such input, but didn’t get it. They could have told me earlier.”
Project members are averse to giving a clear yes and more so, a clear no. Because, there’s always a reason why things were not done according to plan and they want managers to hear them out before making a judgment. And in these details, lies the Devil; or God, depending on how you see it.
The point that I was trying to make is that these details are important. Not hearing them out, or not hearing them clearly could result in too many wrong assumptions, hasty plans, demotivated team members, frayed managers and dissatisfied customers.
Not surprisingly, my friend was managing his status updates through emails and telephone calls. I suggested that my friend try KineticGlue or for that matter, any online team collaboration software to track statuses. People ask questions, status updates only through the platform, and people who are responsible for that item respond. The last posted reply is the latest status. There’s nothing in between. One has to just motivate people to be honest, open and transparent. Do not penalize people for not doing something, but penalize them if they did not let the status known.
My friend was skeptical at first. I coaxed him to try the free version of KineticGlue. He continues to use the free version of KineticGlue, but he’s at it these days. He says his meal times are more peaceful. I believe him.