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Improve Your Writing, Improve Your Project Management
By Kathy Schwalbe, PhD, PMP
Why should project managers improve their writing skills? They need to focus on getting the project done instead of proofreading their e-mails, right?
Well, getting a project done includes communicating effectively with stakeholders, and much of that communication is done in writing. In addition to e-mails, project managers need to write information for presentations, progress reports, executive summaries and other materials. The better these communications are, the better you are as a project manager.
How can you develop your writing skills? Most project managers have taken formal writing courses at some point in their lives, but few have had a real mentor or editor. If you really want to improve your writing, find an expert to help you. A good editor can quickly point out your strengths and weaknesses and provide guidelines to help you improve.
 The topic of this article was suggested by Sima Umathay from San Jose, California, USA, who has worked in project management for five years.
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Besides a writing mentor, there are other ways for you to write more effectively:
- Focus on your audience. When preparing a document or presentation, include the text, charts and other information that’s most relevant to your target audience. Follow guidelines in your organization and focus on relating the most important information.
- Be smart about e-mails. Many project managers use e-mail for most of their writing. First, make sure that e-mail is the most effective medium for your message. You do not impress anyone by bragging about how many e-mails you send or receive, and some conversations are just better done in person or over the phone. When you do send e-mails, include a unique and meaningful subject, send it to the right people and make your message clear.
- Stress the purpose of your written message. Don’t make your readers guess. If you need advice from an expert, don’t be afraid to write, “I need your advice” in your first sentence or as the subject line of an e-mail. If you need someone to take action, make that clear by listing what action should be taken and when.
- Be brief. If you can state your message in five words, why use 10? People appreciate clear, concise writing.
- Avoid too much jargon. There’s nothing worse than trying to decipher a message that includes jargon and acronyms you are not familiar with, so don’t assume your readers will understand. This is especially important if you deal with a multi-cultural audience, On the other hand, don’t belittle your readers by assuming they know nothing. Again, focus on your audience.
- Proofread. Take a few minutes to proofread everything you write. It will often save you time later on by preventing miscommunications. If it’s really important, have someone else proofread your writing as well.
- Read. Yes, in addition to proofreading your own writing, you should pay attention as you read books and articles by well-known authors. The more people read, the better writers they tend to become.
Written communications are often the main deliverables that project stakeholders see, especially in early phases of projects, so it’s important to get them right. Make sure you pay attention to what you write, take the time to write well, and know when to ask for help.
 Kathy Schwalbe, PhD, PMP, is a full professor in the Department of Business Administration at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the author of Information Technology Project Management, Sixth Edition, and Introduction to Project Management, Third Edition. For more information, visit Dr. Schwalbe’s Web site at www.kathyschwalbe.com or e-mail her at schwalbe@augsburg.edu.
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