To the executive ear, project managers seem to be speaking an entirely different language. 

“A lot of executives think project management is all Gantt charts and paperwork, so they tune those conversations out,” says Eric Morfin, partner, Critical Skills Inc., San Diego, California, USA.  

But good communication between executives and project managers impacts everything from strategy to the bottom line. Here’s some advice on how executives can strengthen these lines of communication.

Learn the Lingo.

The biggest pitfall executives can fall into is misusing project management terms.

Executives and project managers often have drastically different definitions for key terms, which makes every conversation a minefield for mistakes. “Critical path,” for example, is a very specific term used by project managers to mean only the most inflexible tasks on a project, yet executives use it in a broader sense all the time, Mr. Morfin says.  “A task that is critically important is different from one that is part of the critical path,” he explains.  

Without agreement on language, confusion erupts and projects get derailed. To avoid communication errors, take the time at the beginning of a project to clarify key terms, suggests Sue-Rae Rosenfeld, PMP, SRSquared IT Project Management & Business Analysis consultant, New York, New York, USA.

To establish a communication baseline, she advises discussing terminology as part of the kick-off meeting and building a project-specific or corporate-wide glossary.  “Terms of art are powerful tools, but only if everyone understands what they mean,” Ms. Rosenfeld says. Mr. Morfin suggests that the project management office offer a short project management training program to teach executives the fundamentals of project management, commonly used terms, process and procedures.  

Don’t Be a Bully.

Executives often make demands rather than discuss their concerns. 

Not only is that an ineffective communication strategy, it can also set unreasonable goals. And it can put project managers in the awkward position of choosing between doing what the executive wants and doing what’s best for the project, says Ms. Rosenfeld.  

“The executive’s goal may be his or her number-one priority, but he or she needs to take into account what else is happening on the project,” she says.  

Understand Your Roles.

“An executive is there to provide steering and guidance. A project manager is there to deliver the project—within the direction provided by the executive,” says Brian Simpson, professional services manager at Cirquent, an IT and management consulting firm in Birmingham, England. “The biggest communication problems happen when people either forget their roles or forget what they are asking others to take on,” he says. 

Executives, particularly those who’ve never been in the project management trenches, should spend time with their project managers to see what their job entails. Then, executives can think of their demands in the context of the larger project and corporate goals, Mr. Simpson says.  

Executives need to “understand what project managers do on a day-to-day basis and make sure project managers understand what you do,” he says. “Project managers will grow—which is good management—and you will get a better understanding of your business—which is being a good executive.” And avoiding these gaffes will do more than just build rapport across the organization. It leads to better bottom-line results, says Ms. Rosenfeld.  

“When executives and project managers communicate frequently and effectively, misunderstandings are avoided,” says Ms. Rosenfeld. “There is less rework, greater buy-in and projects cost less.”