7 Powerful Phrases Project Managers use at Workplace

Excellent communication is an integral part of project management. You have to be a

good speaker if you want to be a good project manager. Not only that, as a project
manager what you say shows your leadership skills, and using right words at the right
time will increase the chances of success both for you and the organization.

Powerful Phrases that Project Managers use at a Workplace

1. Let me be Completely Transparent with you:
Many project managers instead of saying ‘Let me be completely transparent
with you’ will say ‘let me be honest with you’. It gives the other person a
feeling that you are being only honest at this point. Why do you want to assert
your honesty only during an important conversation? Instead make a strong
point by making a transparent conversation. It helps in many ways such as it
draws your listeners close to your conversation and shows them that what you
are saying is really important.
When to use it: When you are making a significant point or involved during
problem solving session with your team / colleagues.
2. Let me share a personal example with you:
As a project manager when you say this phrase, it shows that you are opening
up with the other person and you are sharing information which is personal to
you. Before you do that you are in fact asking their permission and their time
to listen to you. When you share personal information, people are drawn into
the conversation. People are usually moved when such conversations
happen. These conversation phrases help project managers to get the best
out of a team or an individual when things are not going according to the plan
in a project.
When to use it: When you are endorsing an argument, illustrating a point
and teaching a life lesson where others can learn from it.
3. Can we try it your way:
This powerful phrase says that you acknowledge their idea and you are willing
to implement it in the project. As a project manager you might want to even
add, this was your idea and we will see how it works. The phrase puts trust in
others contribution and you are ensuring the person has some degree of say
 in key decisions during a project lifecycle.
When to use it: When team members come up with ideas, where you feel it
should be implemented for the betterment of the project.
4. What do you think?:
When a project manager comes up and asks ‘What do you think?’ it not only
implies that he or she is interested in what is going on with the project, but
also to check what you think about it or how do you feel about it. This phrase
clearly indicates that your opinion matters and giving you a hint that
constructive criticism is welcome. Though businesses today run on data and
numbers, but decisions are taken on how one feels about a particular thing. In
fact people are more engaging when those feelings are addressed. An
intuitive leader understands those feelings and responds accordingly.
Even during a personal conversation, the entire purport and attitude will
change with the question ‘What do you think?’
When to use it: When you feel the other person has a say in it, during a
meeting where there is a conflict of interest between two or more people.
5. I don’t have an answer right now:
Project managers do not know everything. As a project manager when you
say ‘I don’t have an answer right now’ you are saying that you are not
omniscient and you will be able to come up with something later. The
leadership skills displayed by a project manager consist of far more than
these simple phrases, you have to walk the talk and have conversational
effectiveness to thrive in the role. In fact “right now” in the phrase acts as a
door which will be open for you to come back and provide an answer.
When to use it: When in dilemma on a key decision, you can buy some time
to take that all important decision. At the same time it shows that you are
humble enough to not to jump into conclusions right away.
6. Would you be open to the prospect of :
It is said that 90% of project manager’s job role is involved in communication
and this plays a very important role while communicating with the
stakeholders, customers and the team members. For example, you randomly
ask your project sponsor to send five of your team members to the latest PMI
 conference in your city. You as well know the project is already lagging behind
schedule and on top of it you are asking for your team members to attend the
PMI conference. The project sponsor will be disappointed with your request
and he or she might not even entertain it. Instead you can start your
conversation with the phrase, ‘would you be open to the prospect of sending
our team members to the latest PMI conference which addresses Project
Management best practices followed across the globe’.
This is a powerful phrase as the request sounds as a request and not a
demand and this allows the listener to take the next step to understand your
request and the possibility of getting ‘yes’ as an answer will be on a higher
side.
When to use it: When you are making an important pitch or asking for
additional resources for the project etc.
7. I would like to show you some research:
Project managers at times use strong-arm techniques and power moves to
get what they want. Using such techniques will leave a bad impression.
Instead convince them with real data, numbers and legitimate information,
show them the research and then persuade them to make the decision. When
you ask for time with your research you are getting two things done at a time,
one you know that the other person believes in your research and two you are
able to prove your point.
When to use it: When you are trying to prove your point.
When project managers use these phrases with the right intention, it will help you to
communicate better and showcase your leadership attributes in the right way. Take one
conversation at a time and ensure you have answered them correctly to the best of your
abilities. Project manager is a leader when he or she actively listens and responds to
people in an effective manner.