How to talk about project issues tip 4: Include the impact

20 Apr 2022 · 1 min

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In this instructional video, Chris Fenning explains the fourth tip for communicating project issues: always include the impact. While it’s common to describe what happened and why, Fenning stresses that stakeholders care most about the consequences. He advises presenters to specify who is affected, how their effort or outcomes will change, the timing and duration of any delays, and when the audience will receive the deliverable they care about. By framing the issue with its impact, communicators provide the essential "so what" that drives decision‑making and response.

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How to talk about project issues, tip number 4, include the impact. When we talk about issues, we like to and tend to talk about what has happened, why something has occurred, what does it mean to us. That's useful information, but it's not as useful as telling somebody what the impact of the issue is. That's what we all really care about. If we don't talk about the impact, we're missing the so what of the information. An issue has occurred, but does it matter? What is the issue causing that is a problem for us? So when you talk about the impact, talk about how do we do this? We talk about who is impacted, what is the impact to them? Are they going to have to increase their effort? Are they going to have a different outcome than they expected? When is this impact happening? If there's a delay, how long is the delay? When is that delay going to end? And when is the audience going to get the thing that they care about most. So when you are talking about an issue, make sure you include the impact.