3 Benefits of Bringing Communication Early into Your Project

This post is inspired by a recent assignment. I was brought in towards the end of a long-term project in the IT universe. Part of my role was to communicate with various stakeholders to help move things forward as the finish line approached. It was great to work with internal communication from a more “on the ground” angle, not just from the strategic viewpoint of a communication team.

My client and I had an “a-ha” moment when I showed them how valuable it is to plan upcoming communications. And now, I am sharing with you 3 key benefits of viewing communication as a strategic component of your project planning, from the very beginning.

No matter the size of your company, the industry you’re in, or the kind of project you’re running, these are universal lessons you can apply.

1. Better alignment with everyone involved

Whether you can rely on communication colleagues at work, bring in an external consultant, or wear the comms hat yourself — start by focusing on who your project will impact. It is key to create clarity and shared understanding from the outset.

Mapping stakeholders — from your own project team to leaders, to the people who will benefit from your work — will help you see who needs to be kept informed, when, how and why. Whether you communicate once or twenty times with someone, this early alignment ensures you’re not missing key voices or perspectives along the way.

2. More impactful messaging and stronger engagement

When communication is left until the last minute, it often ends up as a “quick" email starting with "Dear all," and is packed with diverse topics & bullet points. Probably on a late Friday afternoon... Convenient for the sender, not always effective for the receiver.

By reflecting a little longer on what you actually want to communicate, you can make your updates more impactful, and be more respectful of everyone's time - especially your own:

• First: assess if you really need to send it at all, I swear it helps!

• Second,: if the topic will evolve, keep one consistent place to update it (eg. a dedicated intranet space, FAQ or newsletter) AND let people know where to find it.

• Third: if dialogue is the goal, try and organise Q&A sessions instead of initiating a “reply all” headache 😅.

This extra effort pays off. It creates communication that sticks, builds trust, and encourages real engagement. People understand better what’s expected of them and where to find information at their own pace.

Tip: Whatever you share on an intranet, maintain it. Refresh outdated information regularly — for instance, set a reminder in your calendar every fortnight.

3. Taking time now to save time (and stress) later

With all that said, you can probably guess where I’m going: plan your communication efforts 💪🗓️.

Even a light plan can help you:

• Spot important project milestones in advance and align when to share something with the right people.

• Involve said right people at the right time (gathering info & reviewing content takes time — book regular check-ins).

• Build consistency in updates, which people notice and value.

• Track what has already been shared, so you avoid contradicting or repeating yourself.

• Encourage stakeholders to engage more readily when you need them, because you've built a relationship with them over time.

If the word “plan” makes you itchy, don’t worry. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple extra “communication track” in your project plan is enough to start with. It gives the sign that communication matters as much as any other track.

If needed, you can then create a more detailed calendar or checklist. The key is not perfection — it’s consistency. If you're unsure what that looks like, your communication colleagues can always guide you if they cannot take it on themselves. And remember, you can always ask for help in your own network - LinkedIn is great for that.

Of course, there are other benefits — from finding the right tone of voice that reflects your company’s culture, to making collaboration smoother across your project team. But these three were key reflections for me, and I hope they will be helpful to you.

If there's one thing to take away from this article, let it be this: approach communication as early as possible in your project. It will give you better preparation, stronger collaboration, and a more positive experience for everyone involved.

Thanks for reading! Let's connect and discuss your thoughts on this 👋.