Project management communication with explainer videos: a guide for project managers part 2
Written by Launa Irvine | 14th February 2024
In Part 1 of our Guide for Project Management, we established how explainer videos can be a powerful tool to streamline project management communication by simplifying complex concepts and facilitating effective and engaging information sharing. We invite you also to read Part 2 of this blog to discover more ways to use explainer videos in project management communication optimally.
Explainer videos can be a powerful tool to streamline project management communication by simplifying complex concepts and facilitating effective and engaging information sharing. In a previous blog, we discussed some ways explainer videos can be used in project management. (Have you read Part 1 of our Guide for Project Managers?) In Part 2 of our Guide for Project Managers, we will now consider more ways one can use explainer videos for project management:
Project Updates
Regularly update the team with short videos summarizing project progress. Highlight key achievements, challenges, and upcoming milestones. This can complement written progress reports or replace otherwise lengthy progress reports.
Project updates in the form of short videos offer a dynamic means of keeping the team informed. These videos provide succinct project progress summaries, highlighting major accomplishments, addressing challenges, and outlining upcoming milestones. They bring a visual and engaging dimension to progress reporting, making it easier for team members to absorb and connect with the project’s status. This approach will foster a more interactive and accessible communication style within the team.
Risk Management
Develop videos to outline potential risks and mitigation strategies. This can help the team understand the risks and know what to do if issues arise.
Risk management videos are a proactive approach to project resilience. These informative videos elucidate potential project risks and detail mitigation strategies. By visualizing various risk scenarios, the team gains a deeper understanding of potential challenges and, more importantly, how to navigate them. These videos equip team members with the knowledge and preparedness needed to address issues promptly and effectively, fostering a culture of readiness and minimizing the impact of unforeseen challenges on project success.
For example, in a construction project, a video can effectively and innovatively communicate key risks and mitigation strategies. It may identify potential risks such as weather, supply chain disruptions, budget overruns, and design modifications and discuss their consequences. It will communicate mitigation strategies such as flexible scheduling, supplier diversification, cost tracking, and design reviews. In addition, it can emphasize continuous risk monitoring and team collaboration. The team manager can even include a short real-life case study to demonstrate the positive impact of these strategies. So, the video is used to encourage the team to implement specific proactive measures to ensure a successful project.
Team Building and Motivation
Use explainer videos to boost team morale, especially during challenging project phases. Share inspiring messages or success stories to motivate the team.
Leveraging explainer videos for team building and motivation is invaluable, particularly in demanding project phases. These videos offer a medium for sharing uplifting messages and success stories that inspire and reinvigorate the team. By fostering a sense of camaraderie and celebrating achievements, they boost team morale, reenergizing everyone’s commitment to overcoming challenges and achieving project success.
Here are a few more ideas:
Let’s share a few more ideas as to how explainer videos can be used for project management communication:
Post-Project Recap: After the project concludes, summarize the outcomes and key learnings in an explainer video. This can be shared with stakeholders and team members to celebrate achievements and promote knowledge transfer.
Visual Project Roadmaps: Develop visual roadmaps in video format that show project timelines, milestones, and dependencies. This can be a handy reference for team members and stakeholders.
Feedback Collection: Create videos to collect feedback from team members, stakeholders, or clients. Video surveys can be more engaging and may yield more candid responses.
Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensure your explainer videos are accessible and considerate of diverse audiences, including those with disabilities. Include closed captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions when necessary.
Interactive Elements: Incorporate interactive elements within your videos, such as quizzes or links to additional resources, to further engage the audience and test comprehension.
How can simpleshow help?
simpleshow video maker has all the features needed to enhance project management communication.
In Part 1 of our Guide for Project Managers, we discussed how simpleshow features (like its useful templates, script writing assistance, visual storytelling, customizable visuals, and voiceover capabilities) enhance project communication.
Let’s look at more features within simpleshow video maker that will take project management to the next level:
1. Collaboration Features: simpleshow allows team collaboration, with the ability to share and edit videos collectively. This is useful for teams working on project updates or other communication materials: Video files do not have to be sent back and forth, as team members can use the integrated comment mode well. This means that all comments are bundled in the simpleshow video maker. After feedback on a video, comments can be reviewed and resolved, one by one, and marked as resolved. This ensures that the person making the video does not miss any feedback.
2. Multilingual Support: For international projects, simpleshow’s support for multiple languages ensures that a diverse audience can understand project communications.
3. Mobile-Friendly Output: Videos created with simpleshow are optimized for mobile viewing, making it easy for team members or stakeholders to access project updates on their mobile devices.
4. Analytics and Tracking: Users can monitor how videos perform by tracking engagement metrics, helping project managers understand the effectiveness of their communication efforts.
5. Training and Onboarding Videos: simpleshow is helpful in creating training videos and onboarding materials, which can enhance project management by ensuring that team members are well-informed about project processes and expectations.
These features make simpleshow video maker a valuable tool for enhancing project communication by simplifying complex concepts, promoting consistency, and ensuring that project updates and information are easily accessible and engaging for all stakeholders.
A final word:
Remember to utilize storytelling techniques and animations to make the content of your project management videos more engaging and memorable. Also, regularly update content as the project progresses to keep information relevant. Following the tips and best practices (as shared in our guide), your project management explainer videos will effectively convey information and engage your audience, making project management communication a breeze.
