Project success is contingent on clarity, but that is often one of the least emphasized tools available to a project manager. We tend to focus on charts and timelines, which are all helpful, but if they aren’t clear, success will be much harder to achieve.

Clarity works through all of the project areas, and the impact of losing clarity in any one of them could be dire with rework, delays, costs, or conflict.

• Goal and Objective Alignment: If you don’t clearly plan and communicate the objectives of the project, don’t expect your team to follow through with the expected work. Ensuring everyone on the project understands the purpose and ultimate deliverables helps them work together to achieve those goals. Alignment on goals ensures priorities are kept.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Working on a project with unclear responsibilities is messy. Either everyone does their own thing, or people get away with minimal or no effort. Clearly defining who does what task, who is responsible for managing the responsibilities, and who has decision-making authority keeps the morale of the team high and ensures everyone feels valued, preventing duplicate work and laziness.
• Scope and Expectations: What is the deliverable? How will we know it’s ready? What does the customer need to accept it? Having a clear, documented scope statement ensures all stakeholders know what is needed and what is going above and beyond. It prevents scope creep so “this little thing” and “that little thing” don’t keep getting added on and the finish line is never crossed.
• Communication and Reporting: What is the status of this task? Is the project on target? Are we achieving our goals? Without clear, proactive communication and reporting, stakeholders end up spending most of their time digging for answers. Creating a clear communication plan from the beginning helps ensure all information is delivered efficiently, through the correct channels, and to the right people.
• Processes and Timeline: What order does this need to happen in? When is that piece of equipment being installed? Oh, the plumber and the electrician both need that space that day? How do I submit a change request? Planning the timeline and processes up front prevents loads of headaches later, ensuring dependencies are noted and planned for, resources are scheduled on the correct days, and everything flows smoothly. Confusion is avoided through clear processes and scheduling.

Working towards clarity in every aspect of work does take careful planning and a lot of practice, but it always pays off in the end.