We thought hard work was enough.
But somehow, rework kept piling up, and trust kept slipping.
The weekend had started early for Neha, a Project Manager working with a supplier team on a high-stakes Industry 4.0 rollout. She had signed up for a charity marathon, her first one. The park was buzzing with nervous excitement. Runners tightened shoelaces, adjusted caps, and compared strategies. The trainer, a seasoned runner with years of experience, gathered everyone before the starting line.
“Listen carefully,” he said. “Here’s the plan. Start slow for the first three kilometers, don’t waste energy early. Increase your pace gradually after the halfway mark. If you face cramps, raise your hand so volunteers can help immediately. Stick close to the pacer with the blue bib if you’re aiming for a 2-hour finish. And hydrate at every alternate water station. Most importantly, understand why: you’re saving glycogen for the final stretch.”
If you face cramps, raise your hand so volunteers can help immediately. Stick close to the pacer with the blue bib if you’re aiming for a 2-hour finish. And hydrate at every alternate water station. Most importantly, understand why: you’re saving glycogen for the final stretch.
Some nodded. Some smiled politely, already planning to dash ahead. Neha overheard two runners whisper. “Arrey, why waste time? I’ll just push hard in the first half and lock a lead.” The other laughed, “Exactly, we’ll figure it out as we go.” The whistle blew. As expected, a few shot forward like arrows. Neha followed the trainer’s advice and kept her pace steady, even though her legs were itching to run faster. Midway through, the sprinters she had seen earlier began slowing down, clutching their knees, gasping for breath. By the final stretch, most were struggling to even walk.
The trainer ran alongside a small group that had paced themselves well. “Now accelerate,” he encouraged. They surged forward with the energy they had saved. Neha crossed the finish line stronger than she ever thought possible. After the run, the trainer gathered everyone. “Did you see what happened?” he asked. “The ones who knew the WHY behind pacing lasted. The ones who ignored it ran out of fuel. Running isn’t just about effort, it’s about where and when you spend that effort.”
The words stuck with Neha. On Monday morning, back at the office, she found herself replaying the marathon lesson during a project status review. The customer had just remarked: “Neha, I feel your team spends a lot of energy, but not always in the right direction. We end up repeating tasks or filling gaps later.” Her mind clicked. This is exactly like the marathon runners who sprinted without knowing why. In her debrief with the supplier team, she voiced it openly. “Guys, the customer is right. We’re working hard, but sometimes without context. We take instructions, divide tasks, and rush. But do we ask WHY enough?”
One engineer admitted, “Honestly, no. Sometimes we just assume. And maybe we don’t share enough context back with the customer either.” Neha nodded. “Exactly. This is where we’re burning glycogen early, like those runners.
On Day 1, Neha set the tone: “Let’s make communication predictable so no one feels left guessing.”
She rolled out a simple plan, built on four pillars:
- What: Weekly sprint goals, daily blockers, and any immediate risks would always be documented.
- When: Status updates every evening, design clarifications within 24 hours, and escalations within 12 hours of spotting a blocker.
- Who: The supplier team lead would share progress, while the customer’s product owner would bring context and decisions.
- How: Teams chat for the quick stuff, Jira for tasks, and a Friday Meet call for things still hanging. Plus, an escalation matrix so everyone knew who to chase if responses slowed down.
Two weeks later, Sprint 2 brought the first real test.
The customer suggested dropping a dashboard feature. In the past, that might have slipped quietly into the backlog, leaving the team to redo work without context. But this time was different. Neha logged the request in Jira, raised it in the next standup, and asked straight up: “Can you tell us why we’re dropping this? Last sprint it was top priority.” The customer replied, “We just heard from factory operators, predictive alerts will help them much more than dashboards. That’s where the value lies.”
That short, structured exchange changed everything. Instead of silent rework and frustration, the supplier team got clarity, and the customer felt heard. The plan wasn’t just a document anymore, it was alive, in action. Neha leaned back after the call, realizing the communication plan had moved beyond paperwork; it was now the reason both sides felt aligned, informed, and headed in the same direction.
Over the next few sprints, the change was visible. The customer no longer felt blind to decisions. Visibility improved, engagement deepened, and surprisingly, Neha noticed she herself had to spend 5% less effort each release on covering gaps or redoing work.
5%
Weeks later, while sipping her evening coffee, Neha smiled at the memory of the trainer. His words echoed in her mind: “Running isn’t about effort, it’s about where and when you spend that effort. Projects, she realized, were no different. It wasn’t about clocking hours; it was about directing energy wisely. With a clear communication plan and a culture of why, the supplier team didn’t just deliver, they delivered strong. So here’s the takeaway: make communication plans at kickoff non-negotiable. Your future self will thank you. And if you’d like to see how we structure them for Industry 4.0 projects, reach out to us at info@wonderbiz.in
Key Takeaway
With a communication plan set at kickoff, energy is no longer wasted on rework,
the WHY is always clear, and every sprint moves in the right direction.
