Supercommunicators

A hidden factor to success

Imagine by DALL-E

Meet Joe, a diligent project manager at a reputable consulting firm. Joe’s days are filled with tracking timelines, updating Gantt charts, and keeping everyone in sync for critical tasks. One Monday morning, he receives an email from his boss: ‘Ensure all deadlines are met and all tasks are up-to-date.’ Diligently, Joe relays this to his team, each of whom gives him a confident thumbs-up on the final outcome. Feeling reassured, Joe presents the timeline to the board, highlighting each team’s commitment to their tasks.

Everything appears smooth.

A few weeks later, Joe is caught up in new responsibilities, and assuming the tasks are progressing as planned, he moves on without giving them a second thought. But then, on the morning an important contract is due—a contract requiring a final IT review and sign off—Joe realizes it’s incomplete. With the deadline just hours away, panic sets in. He scrambles to track down the paperwork, only to discover that someone in IT had overlooked the review entirely and that it would be impossible to complete within the promised timeline.

The contract isn’t ready and the deal is now in jeopardy.