iPM Archetype #1 - The Communicator

9 communication strategies that will pay off for the rest of your career. How to optimize outcomes using clear communication.

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Today at a Glance:

• An archetype is a typical example, pattern, or model that helps people understand each other. These archetypes provide a way to better understand different styles of project management, as they represent universal patterns or roles that project managers often embody in their work.

• Welcome to Part 1 of a 7 part series covering the (7) Archetypes that make up an Influential and Well-Rounded Project Manager. In this issue, we’re going to dive deep into the first archetype: The Communicator.

• The Communicator is a master of clear communication and is very well understood by everyone. The best communicators know their audience and communicate using well chosen thoughts, words, and images to lock in ideas.

• You can improve your communication skills with practice much more effectively than you can improve your intelligence with practice. If you’re not that smart but can communicate ideas clearly, you have a great advantage over everybody who can’t communicate clearly.

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What is an Archetype?

An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior. Archetypes help us to connect certain dots that we haven’t seen or felt before, giving us a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

The (7) archetypes are the behavior patterns that will accelerate your project management career forward like nothing ever before. Embodying these patterns will keep your project safe and successful. They are the key to continuously deliver what’s most desirable - predictable outcomes.

No one archetype is more important than the other. The Influential Project Manager can operate dynamically in all of them. He or she will lean into each one as needed, depending on the situation.

iPM Archetype #1 - The Communicator

The first archetype we’re going to cover in this series of paid subscriber only posts is the The Communicator.

The communicator is someone who delivers their message clearly and is receptive and responsive to others’ input.

The communicator has the superpower of deep listening, and can hear and address the true message of what’s being said, even when the speaker is stifled in their expression.

The dividends on the investment you make in sharpening your communication skills will pay off for the rest of your career. So pull out your notepad, bookmark this post for future reference, and enjoy!

“Communication works for those who work at it” — John Powell

You can improve your communication skills with practice much more effectively than you can improve your intelligence with practice. If you’re not that smart but can communicate ideas clearly, you have a great advantage over everybody who can’t communicate clearly.

Great communicators are highly respected and trusted. They’re known for becoming the go-to source for other people on their projects and within their organization.

Getting to this point and becoming an Influential Project Manager really boils down to mastering the art of “Clear Communication.”

What is Clear Communication?

Kyle Nitchen @kylenitch

Clear communication is when the idea that’s in my mind and the idea that’s in your mind is the same after I communicate it to you.

Clear Communication is exactly that. It’s when the ideas, thoughts, actions, and feelings in your mind are an exact match to the original ones in my mind after I transmit them to you. In other words, nothing is lost in translation.

Clear Communication is important when working collaboratively. Team members get their points across more effectively when they are straightforward and speak without clutter. The best communicators also change the mode of communication to fit the listener’s needs (communicating one-on-one, via email, in a meeting, or through some other method as needed), and successfully navigate the obstacles of working in virtual teams. These people have developed the skill of not just relaying their message, but choosing the best method for it to be transmitted.

A high score in the Clear Communication category indicates the ability to get to the point clearly and concisely over many different mediums. You are skilled at transmitting ideas and put in effort to understand others. This ability is a powerful asset for developing people skills and executing projects. Clear Communicators are likely accomplished collaborators, more productive with their time, experience lower turnover, and skilled at achieving buy-in. 

It’s no wonder communication is such a highly sought-after skill – but there isn’t always a clear-cut path to self-improvement.

9 Foundations that Support Clear Communication