PM Network - December 2015

Yael Cohen, PMP, is a freelance program manager in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Manners Matter
How merely being polite can help your projects run more smoothly.
By Yael Cohen, PMP

Once, after attending a meeting with an external stakeholder, I sent a thank-you email on behalf of my team. The stakeholder immediately wrote back, thanking me for my note and saying that if I needed any additional information, she would be happy to supply it. A few weeks later, when I had another request, she remembered me and promptly followed up.

As project managers, we often ask for and receive information, but rarely do we address just how important etiquette is within our profession. In my experience, simple politeness goes a long way toward creating cordial dealings with stakeholders and team members—which also helps projects run better.

Here are four key ways to incorporate courtesy into your projects:

Ask nicely. Using “please,” while only an extra word, is likely to score you extra points. I’ve noticed I am more inclined to quickly send requested information to courteous people than to those who have been rude to me.

Be thankful. Even if you know you’re entitled to the information, you should still be appreciative of the person who provided it. Saying “thank you” will make you stand out from others who don’t use common courtesies.

Be respectful. Ignoring requests is not justifi-
able, even if deadlines are tight and you’re jug-
gling competing priorities. If you’re not mindful
of someone else’s time, others are likely to follow
suit. I’ve had team members ask why they have to
attend other groups’ meetings when people from
those groups don’t attend my team’s meetings. But
I still encourage my team members to attend in the
hopes that their respectful behavior will eventually
rub off on others.

Offer praise. Acknowledge when you see or hear politeness from your team members. And always try to end a meeting on a praiseworthy note. This can be difficult, but even if the project is going poorly there may be an opportunity to praise your team for continuing to work hard.

Being courteous can create
a commonality among
stakeholders in disparate
disciplines. In project
circles, sometimes the
functional and technical teams struggle to communi-
cate, but “please” and “thank you” are universal terms
that transcend this struggle. They can even help ease
tension within the team.

No matter where you are in your career or in a project, it is never too late to employ etiquette and cultivate a respectful and courteous environment. PM