IT Manager's Handbook: Getting Your New Job Done by Bill Holtsnider, Brian D. Jaffe

different communication than managing a weekend effort to upgrade the company’s database servers.
    The following guidelines can be used when communicating with your team.
    Make Sure the Team Understands the Overall Objective and Goals
    Explain it in practical terms; for example: “implementing a new accounts payable system will eliminate all manual processes and hard-copy documents, thereby reducing turnaround time to 24 hours, and ensuring that no unauthorized payments are made.”
    Explain How You Envision Achieving the Goal
    You don’t have to offer too much detail, especially on a large project, but you should have some thoughts, visions, and ideas you can articulate as a type of road map. “Our first milestone is the end of February; by then we should have a prototype system for the users to look at. By mid-year we should have finalized all the details. We’re looking to plan for parallel testing in the fourth quarter, with the final cut-over set for December 31st.”
    Encourage Questions and Input from Your Staff
    There are several reasons why you should do this:
•Asking for your staff’s input (and taking it seriously) will make your team feel like they are involved and a part of the decision-making process; they will work better and harder on a process they feel a part of and understand.
•They are a lot closer to the work than you are—they’ll be the first to recognize an opportunity, a potential landmine, or a dead end.
•The group will usually have important insights to share.
    If the goal or plan is especially challenging, or perhaps it deviates somewhat from the company norm, you’ll have to be that much more motivating and enthusiastic when you communicate with the team.
    Ask questions of the team to ensure that they have an appropriate understanding of the project. For example:
•How do you think we should start?
•Where do you see danger zones and areas of risk?
•What are the key milestones?
•What kinds of resources do you think we will need?
•Who else in the company do you think might help?
    Listen Carefully
    Listening is more than just hearing the words. Notice the staff’s comments, tone, and body language. Use these as clues to determine if your team is buying in and is behind you. This can be more of a challenge with team members who are remote. With remote team members, consider drawing them out more than you usually do to ensure you feel confident about their thinking. And consider using available tools besides e-mail and phone calls (instant messaging, web-cams and video-conferencing, social networking tools, web-conferencing) for greater interaction, and to help build a stronger relationship with them. Make sure everyone feels free to air any doubts or concerns. One technique is to go around the table at the end of each meeting and to ask each member to express any concerns they have and then address them accordingly. Another is to encourage the staff to call, send e-mails, or meet with you privately (before or after the meeting) if they feel intimidated by speaking in front of a group.
    Make sure you provide some guidance to your team as to when they should bring something to your attention. Some managers prefer hearing about every detail, some want to hear only items at higher levels, and others want to know only when there are big problems or exceptions.
    Meet Regularly
    Meeting frequencies might vary depending on the work at hand. Weekly and monthly meetings are common. During critical project times, it isn’t uncommon to have daily meetings. You can have too many meetings or too few—it depends on the project. Try to establish a rhythm that people can work with; if you establish a meeting time of every Friday morning, the team will work throughout the week with that in mind.
    Meetings don’t have to always be project-oriented. Regular department meetings, as well as individual meetings, with your direct reports can help foster a culture of open communication and sharing