When it comes conveying project information, every stakeholder is going ask schedule question #1 – “Are we on-track to meet our deadline?” Dates are paramount and conveying them visually with an at-a-glance picture is going to go far with any stakeholder.
What visuals elements did it have? Could you glance at the first page and get a clear indication of how the project was progressing? Was there color used? Just black text? Was it easy to understand? Think back to the last project status report you’ve interacted with. Effective communication is a a job requirement now And like it or not, your profession likely requires you to communicate using a visual tool, regardless of your proficiency or training in this medium.” “Your employers and colleagues assess you by how well you communicate – skill that is reflected in annual reviews, pay increases, promotions and even your popularity. Nancy Duarte, in her excellent book Slideology conveys just how vital communicating visually has become Communicating information effectively has become a must-have skill that every project professional needs to know.
When it comes to conveying important project information to stakeholders, clients or colleagues, we have to take the same approach. All the content we digest from the internet is developed to capture our attention and hold it for as long a possible, but we all know that something shinier or sexier will show up any second now. Let’s face it, our attention spans are short.
