Talk More, Write Less - TMWL

TMWL – Talk More, Write Less. Do you believe in this? It definitely sounds good but is not feasible in all the conditions for all the projects in all the organizations. There are n numbers of pre-requisites before even thinking of this statement.

Let’s come to very basic about this statement “Talk More, Write Less” alias TMWL. This simply means that better to discuss the issues, concerns, problems, topics and other stuffs rather than writing long emails for that. But there is a long list which one should think of before even throwing a single thought on it.

1. Is there a trusty and healthy environment within the team?
2. Is there any attitude problem in the team?
3. Is there a good communication channel established between the different teams?
4. How are the managers leading their team?
5. Is there any dissatisfactory team member in the team?
6. Is there any right person in the wrong place?
7. Is there is any wrong person at the right place?
8. Is there is any ego problem within the team or team members?

I have seen in many companies where I worked previously, that talk more as well as write more is the only feasible solution. Talk more will establish and maintain a communication channel within the teams and write more will give a confidence to the entire concern persons about what is going on concretely in the project.

There should be a trusty and healthy environment within the team. No trust within the team will definitely create an unhealthy environment in the team and consecutively TMWL will fail. Sometimes it is not easy to find out whether trust is there within the team or not. But we should remember that trust is invisible but the symptoms of its absence are not.

Attitude also plays a major role in the success of this philosophy. A positive attitude can make a difference in approach to life. It makes a difference in your relationship with people. So it’s better to work on team’s attitude first before going for TMWL.

In a team where there is no communication channel due to any of the reasons, TMWL is definitely a greatest process failure. Communication plays a major role in any project’s success or failure. A situation in which miscommunication or the complete lack of communication adversely affects the work as well as the relationships among the people carrying out the work. Good communication is critical to software project quality.Talk More will work only well if there are proper official communication channels established within the teams.

The success of TMWL also depends on how the managers are leading their teams. If the managers are defending themselves by offending the other team managers, they are adding a failure tag against TMWL philosophy. They should focus more on mutual goal of delivering high-quality software and less on shielding themselves from blame and proving the other side wrong. The managers should also work for the quality of the project keeping aside their egos.

Any unsatisfactory team member is definitely a danger key for TMWL philosophy. So if there is any team member who is not satisfied working in the team, try to fulfill his/her demands (if possible) so that he can also be part of team’s success.

There must be a right person at the right place. When you put the right person in the right place, you are helping your current staff learn from talented leaders (yourself included). TMWL will work effectively only when there is a right person at the right place.

So the whole story has turned up into an episode that it is better to work on other aspects first before going for “Talk More, Write Less” philosophy.

-- Sanat Sharma (सनत शर्मा)