Skill-kit revisit - part 3 - a podcast by Frances Ridout, Kerry Jarred, Simon Reichwald, Nigel Spencer

As a final revisiting of our “Skill-Kit” episode for listeners, we think about the related areas of communication and project management.  What does “good” look like when we are managing a project in terms of our communication?  What choices of communication do we need to consider in general?  And how have things changed as we emerge from the pandemic into a world of hybrid working, where communication options become potentially more complicated?  Again, all three episodes will offer our ideas, perspectives, and some practical approaches to try!

Communication

Two ears and one mouth! Use them in that order and proportion. Communication is not about talking at another person, it is a complex and intricate process which actually holds listening at the heart.

If Albert Mehrabian is right and only 7% of communication are the words that we use, what is the other 93 %? In this episode Kerry and Simon from the ReImagine Law team get under the skin of what is involved in the two way process of communication. How do you make sure that you are totally present in the conversation, and really listen to the other person? And what difference does tone and body language make?

This episode explores whose responsibility it is to make sure the other person ‘hears’ and why does Simon not consider an email as communication? Are your own views on communication holding you back from being a great communicator?

Useful resources
 
 -Read more on Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Rule of Personal Communication: https://www.rightattitudes.com/2008/10/04/7-38-55-rule-personal-communication/

- 70% of business mistakes are due to poor communication says US Firm Gartner: https://www.careeraddict.com/the-importance-of-effective-communication-in-the-workplace

Project management

Project management is something we do every day, often without realising it, but how do we, first, identify project management in our lives and then articulate it as a skill / competency that we have

Law firms and chambers often list project management as a key competency, but what does it actually mean and how can you develop this skill? In this episode Simon and Kerry demystify what project management is and help listeners identify where it exists for all of us in our daily lives.  They discuss the ‘nuts and bolts’ of managing a process of activities to reach an outcome, with simple, yet powerful approaches to use to use such as ‘What needs to be achieved’, ‘by when’ and ‘by who’ and ‘who needs to be involved?’, this episode also discusses mile stones, inter-dependencies and of course the joy of ‘keeping it simple'
 
 Useful resources
https://lawahead.ie.edu/the-rise-and-future-of-legal-project-management/
https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/project-management-skills

Further episodes of Reimagine Law

Further podcasts by Frances Ridout, Kerry Jarred, Simon Reichwald, Nigel Spencer

Website of Frances Ridout, Kerry Jarred, Simon Reichwald, Nigel Spencer