Over Communicate

This is a big one – hard to do, but invaluable. I'm always working on improving my ability to do this well.

My goal: communicate regarding a project or task before someone has to ask me about it. I make it a game with myself and consider it a failure (no matter what) if I'm asked about the status of a project or task without me initiating the progress report. Don't make excuses for yourself when you fail to do this (even if the excuses are just internal).

Part of over communicating effectively is to make timelines and project road maps to keep everyone on the same page. A bigger part is making sure to continuously update along the way, not just when a deliverable is being sent. You want to make sure your boss, co-workers, and clients always know exactly where a project or task is, so that they never have to ask first.

Every time I do this successfully, expectations are managed, momentum is maintained, and trust begins to form. When I fail to do this, the people around me as well as clients begin to worry about where something is in process, begin to forget what exactly the result of the project or task was supposed to be, etc - basically things start to fall apart in their eyes and they begin to doubt if I am really managing. If they're having to ask first, then I'm really just reacting.

Be a middle manager, not a reactor - over communicate.