The Rhythm of Communication

Good communication is a huge factor in building a successful working relationship during a redesign project. I believe that at the heart of good communication is trust. As your Project Manager, part of my job is to earn your trust. The communication process at Fastspot is one of the things that allows us to strengthen that trust throughout the life of a project.

There are so many factors that go into good communication overall. Many of them are things that you would naturally expect from any project management team, including regular calls and weekly updates, access to Basecamp (or something like it), and a well-planned schedule. But I believe there are a few components to our approach that create something unique. These aren’t specific tactics. Instead, they’re beliefs and promises that we implicitly make to every client we work with at Fastspot.

Customized and Personal

Our priority is client satisfaction. Our Project Management team has a set of tools and practices that we use with all of our clients, but we adjust and refine those tools to suit individual needs—making our clients lives easier, and our work better. While your PM will guarantee that you have dependable and regular communication throughout the project, we also understand that one size does not fit all. While we may use the same tools to communicate with many of our clients, we adjust our style to ensure that each one feels comfortable and is getting the information they need in a way that works best. Do you prefer a phone call over an email? You’ll likely get more phone calls from us than emails. Would you rather video chat than dial in over the phone? We can handle that.

Consistent and Strategic

One of the reasons that we can connect so personally with each one of our clients is that Fastspot assigns a dedicated project manager throughout the entire course of the project. The PM you start the project with is the PM you will launch the project with. Most projects include several stages, and you will work with UX, design, or development team members as they are needed. But your Project Manager will be there to guide you through each phase. As a result, that PM is going to know your project inside and out. From working with you and your team to conceptualize the goals of the project, to executing them in design and development, we’ll have touched the project more than just about anyone else involved. It’s our job to anticipate the questions or requests you will have before you have even seen the work. We will be your ears and eyes.

Honest and Supportive

While no one wants to have the tough conversations, there are likely going to be bumps in the road that we’ll need to work through. These conversations can be difficult, but our PM team makes it a priority to communicate any red flags to our clients as soon as they emerge. That way we can work together to define the best solution for the problem before it becomes unmanageable. Whether it be budget concerns or a poor piece of content that was added to the site during content migration, we will always speak up to advise you when necessary.

We’re also our clients’ biggest advocates. We understand the hard work that went into getting your project off the ground, and we’ll be one of the first to congratulate you on a job well done. When we see an inspirational homepage feature, or a recent approval process run smoothly, we’ll let you know we appreciate the work you put in. We know sometimes it’s the small things, and we don’t want those to go unnoticed.

Project managers are sometimes perceived as being schedulers and clock-watchers— just involved enough to get the next meeting onto the calendar. At Fastspot, we do manage the schedules, but our approach to project management is much more than that. Our core beliefs about the role and value of a project manager allow us to act as a true partner. We’ll know when to collaborate and support you, when it’s time to listen, and when it’s time to take the lead. Working side by side with you and your team, we’ll make sure that the project takes you exactly where you want to go.