Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

IIt’s a fact. Every couple will fight while planning their wedding. Justin and I have had our moments already and we have only been engaged for three months. In the May 2011 issue of “Brides” magazine there was an entire page dedicated to real-life arguments between to-be brides and grooms. The funniest one? They couldn’t agree on if they wanted their caramelized eggplant appetizer on a walnut or pecan encrusted radicchio chip.

For project managers, communication and people-skills are absolute necessities. If you are planning your own wedding you have to be a pro at this. It involves knowing the communication style of your fiancé, bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents, in-laws, and vendors and adapting your communication style so things get done efficiently and arguments are minimized (or at least not drawn out).

The upside – you are much more likely to know the communication styles of these people than you would be to know your co-worker’s or new project team member’s. Plus, communication is a great skill to continue practicing throughout your marriage.

There it is, short and sweet. Learn how to be a great communicator and maybe those fights won’t be as painful.

And now, finally, I am ready to move onto actually planning my wedding with project management. No more theories, so check back next time for the dive into the nitty gritty.

 

P.S. Justin just had a valid point after reading this post – communication is the responsibility of the sender, not the receiver. If the listener isn’t understanding your point of view, it’s your responsibility to communicate in a different way (and not blame them). I have such a smart fiancé.

3 Comments

  1. Dad/Laird
    May 23, 2011

    Looking forward to the nitty gritty planning.

  2. Seth
    Jun 2, 2011

    Communication is the responsibility of both! Yes the sender needs to package the message properly, but the receiver has to be open to the package, too. You can have the most perfectly crafted message in the world, but if the receiver isn’t willing to listen and communicate, you will fail.

    • lcagan
      Jun 2, 2011

      Seth, very well put. Communication can’t just work one way. Thanks for the wise advise 🙂

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